Touch of Your Hand
by Lucy212
Summary: What if Quinn wasn't hurrying so she could attend the wedding and show Rachel her support? What if she was actually hurrying to stop it all together? This is my take on how the story might continue after 'On My Way'. Eventually Faberry. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Waking Up

Touch of Your Hand

Rated T (M for later)

Romance – angst – drama

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. This story is merely a figment of my imagination.

What if Quinn wasn't hurrying so she could attend the wedding and show Rachel her support? What if she was actually hurrying to stop it all together. She didn't know the full extent of her feelings towards Rachel, she just knew she was making a mistake and she cared too much to let someone as talented as Rachel Berry be tight down to a small town like Lima, Ohio. – This is my take on how the story might continue after 'On My Way'. Eventually Faberry.

Chapter 1: Waking up

Quinn saw nothing but darkness. She didn't know where she was or what had happened to her. She vaguely remembered being in the car until everything went black. As she started gaining more awareness, her senses were on high alert. She could barely move her arms, or her legs. Her entire body felt so sore. She couldn't remember what had happened, but considering what she was feeling at this moment, it was probably something pretty bad.

When she moved her right hand, she could feel a pressure in it. Not a bad kind of pressure, it actually felt kinda nice, like it belonged there. She moved her fingers to try and make sense of what she was feeling and felt someone pinch back a little. It was then that she realized someone was beside her. Someone was holding her hand.

"Quinn?" She heard someone whisper, a voice she couldn't quite place just yet, but she knew it came from someone very familiar. "Quinn, are you awake? Please Quinn, open your eyes."

She heard so much sadness coming from whoever was beside her. She couldn't help but be grateful that someone was holding her hand. It's one of those things she couldn't help but wonder about when she saw it in the movies. How when someone had gotten hurt and was waking up in the hospital, there would always be someone by their side, hoping they'd wake up. However, she had sometimes wondered whether or not someone would be there by her side, if she were ever in that situation.

She felt something soft stroke past her cheek and felt a warmth starting where her skin had been touched. Slowly she came to the understanding that her eyes were still closed. She was so thoroughly confused that she hadn't realized that the darkness that surrounded her was due to the fact that her eyelids were preventing light from touching her eyes. She slowly started to open them, but only took a quick peek. The light that came to her immediately made her head hurt and she groaned in response.

"Quinn? Oh thank god, you're awake! We've been so worried about you!" She heard the voice call out to her. It then dawned on her, that voice was owned by no one other than Rachel Berry. She should've realized it sooner, 'cause there's no one with a voice quite like hers. As that realization hit her, her memories seemed to be coming back to her. She was on her way to Rachel's wedding, she was rushing to make it on time. She had to be there, because she had to convince Rachel NOT to go through with it. She was texting Rachel, saying she was on her way, just a few more minutes. Then she heard a loud noise and a bang and everything went black. She was probably lucky to be alive.

She tried again to open her eyes and found herself face to face with the person she had spent the greater part of high school tormenting, all because she couldn't stand her attitude. Although, when she thought about it, it was probably more than that …

"Rachel?" She was shocked by the sound of her own voice. It didn't sound like her at all, so hoarse and shaky. She tried to clear her throat but found that to only cause her pain. "What happened? Where am I?" She asked the teary brunette sitting beside her, still holding her hand. Again she thought how good it felt, to have her holding her hand. She took so much comfort in it.

"You're in the hospital, Quinn. You were in a car accident 5 days ago. A pickup truck slammed into you and your car went tumbling. It really is a miracle you're still alive, let alone not have head trauma. I'm so glad you're okay Quinn, I would've never forgiven myself if you had been more gravely injured. Not that I'm diminishing the injuries that you do have, I'm just really glad you're okay."

All the while Rachel was talking, Quinn just looked up to her and smirked. She hasn't been awake for five minutes and already she's been given one of Rachel's rambling sessions. It didn't annoy her quite as much though, in fact, she was rather moved by the fact that she was the one sitting by her side at this moment.

Rachel caught her smiling and looked at her curiously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Quinn was a bit embarrassed by being caught staring and tried to come up with a reasonable excuse. As she started formulating an answer, she barely got any words out. Seems like her throat was still too dry for her to get any words out properly. Rachel immediately caught her distress and released her hand to grab something that was on the table beside her. Quinn was a bit disappointed by the removal of said hand. She figured it was because her body had become so accustomed to it, she had apparently been through a terrible ordeal and her body had experienced a tremendous shock. When given something so comforting afterwards, it's normal to cling to it.

"Here you go." Rachel said, as she held a glass of water in front of her and let her sip from the straw. She could feel the cold water running through her body and was thoroughly relieved. It was exactly what she needed. Without realizing, she had almost drank the entire glass and Rachel pulled it away slowly to put it back on the table beside her.

"Better?" She asks.

Quinn nodded her head. "Yes, thank you." Her voice started to sound a bit more like it should, though it still cracked a little. She smiled at Rachel, who seemed happy to return the favor. As she took in her surrounding, she couldn't help but glance at Rachel's finger.

"You're not wearing your ring?" She hadn't planned on saying that, it just sort of came out. She hadn't meant to put Rachel on the spot like that. After all, she was sitting at her bedside after she'd been in a car crash. She should be nothing but grateful to the girl. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't wearing her ring at the moment. After all, since she didn't make it to the wedding, she must have married Finn, right?

Rachel seemed a bit surprised by the question, but wasn't put off by it the way Quinn had thought. "The wedding has been postponed." Quinn's heart made a little jump after hearing that. "When you didn't show, I had this weird feeling inside. I was standing there looking at Finn, with all our friends and family surrounding us and I couldn't help but think something had happened to you. It was the strangest and most terrifying feeling I had ever had. I convinced Finn that we should wait because I really wanted you to be there and I got my dads to drive up the road you were supposed to be on."

Rachel stopped talking, she needed to breath before she told her the next part and the look Quinn saw in her eyes, made her tremble.

"You found me?" She asked, not really sure she wanted to know just yet what it was she had found.

"Yes. I saw your car from afar and I knew my feelings had been right. When I .. You .. It looked pretty bad. The doctors said that you might've bled to dead if we hadn't found you so fast." She finally managed. Rachel was not one to stumble over her words, but it was obvious that the scene she had stumbled upon that day, was one so terrifying that it did just that. Tears were starting to fall from Rachel's eyes. She didn't want to get this emotional, Quinn was the one lying in a hospital bed after being unconscious for 5 days, she should be the one getting emotional. Still, she couldn't seem to stop the tears from falling.

"I'm sorry," She mumbles through her tears. "I don't mean to get all emotional on you, I'm just really happy that you're okay."

Quinn was getting pretty emotional herself. Not because she felt so weak and vulnerable and pretty stupid for the fact that she'd been texting while driving which had almost cost her her life. But because of the way Rachel was treading her. She was being so lovely and caring. She had love in her life, on the good days she would feel really loved by her mother, she had great friends like Brittany and Santana but the amount of compassion she was getting from Rachel right now, she hadn't ever felt so loved.

"You don't have to apologize, Rachel. Not at all." She reached out for Rachel's hand, still longing to be able to hold it in her own again. Their gazes met and there was a comfortable silence between them as they once again were holding hands.

"Where's Finn?" Quinn then asked. Another question she was hesitant to ask, but she felt she needed to know.

"He's gone to get some coffee. He's not very good with hospitals. He felt a bit awkward standing in the same room as you, while you were unconscious. He seemed afraid to say anything, worried you might overhear or something." Rachel responds, rolling her eyes.

"Sounds like Finn." She grins back at her.

His name had barely left Quinn's lips when a soft knock was heard and the boy in question walked inside.

"Hey honey, I got you some decaf. I figured all that caffeine might be getting to you and it might be best that you got a bit more sleep tonight." As he looked at Rachel, he noticed that she was actually smiling at him. She hadn't smiled since she quite abruptly stopped the wedding and went off to find Quinn. At first he thought he had finally managed to make her smile by being considerate, but then he looked over to the bed.

"Quinn, you're awake!" He exclaims, surprise evident on his face.

"Hey Finn." She whispers and he smiles at him. Everyone's quiet for a little while, until Finn suddenly speaks up.

"I'll go get the doctor, tell him you're awake." He happily declares and walks out the door.

Just like that, the two girls are by their selves again. They were still holding hands and both felt extremely happy having the other in their presence.

"Rachel?" Quinn asks, looking up at the diva. She'd been a bit lost in thought and brought her eyes to look into the blondes.

"What is it, sweetie?" She asks, having the words fall off her tongue naturally, but hoping it didn't cross a line just the same.

Quinn sat up a bit higher. She looked at their intertwined hands and then brought her eyes up to meet Rachel's again.

"Thank you." The amount of sincerity coming from Quinn was overwhelming. Rachel was a bit lost for words and didn't respond right away. Quinn saw this as an opportunity to elaborate. "Thank you for coming to find me. I don't know how I can ever repay you for saving my life. You've been so kind to me in the past, while I've been so cruel. You truly are an amazing person and I'm lucky to have you in my life."

Tears had once again started to form in Rachel's eyes. Hearing those words truly meant a lot to her. Quinn and her had seen each other in good times and bad times, but she's always known in her heart that when given the chance, they could make great friends. She squeezed Quinn's hand and put a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"And I'm really lucky to still have you in my life." She responded. She wanted to say a lot more but there was another knock at the door and the doctor entered the room. She could also see Finn outside with a cellphone in hand, probably letting everyone know that she was awake.

* * *

><p>Hi everyone . I've been reading tons of Faberry fic lately and I felt the need to start one myself. I'll be continuing my other story as well, soon I hope , inspiration hasn't been as good on the Baley front. Please review this story, it'll definitely make me want to continue! I'm not really sure where I'll be going with this fic just yet, but I'm excited none the less :p. I'm trying to find a weekly spot for my writing time, so hopefully updates for this and Special Brownies will become more frequent.<p>

Until next time! Lucy


	2. Waking Up Revisited

Chapter 2: Waking up revisited

RPOV

While I was reading one of the articles in Teen Vogue to Quinn, like I had done the last few days every morning when I dropped by, I thought I saw her stir a bit. I always held her hand while I was reading to her, I felt more connected to her that way. When I felt her fingers twitch, I immediately dropped the magazine and held her hand tighter. Did she just move?

"Quinn?" I called to her. I so desperately wanted her to respond, to show any sign of consciousness. There had been little to no change the last few days and it was all very much being patient to see how long it took for Quinn to wake up. The doctors were optimistic though, no life support was needed and there didn't seem to be any sign of brain damage, so I chose to be every bit as optimistic as I could be. If she got out of this just with a broken arm and a fair few bruises, luck was definitely on their side. "Quinn, are you awake? Please Quinn, open your eyes."

I could see her body responding to my voice, she was starting to wake up. I put my other hand on her cheek, hoping it would get her to open her eyes. How I longed to be able to stare in those beautiful hazel eyes of hers. I was very capable of putting emotions in my eyes while I was performing, I knew it was important to feel every single thing that I was singing over my entire body. But I had noticed that Quinn was quite expressive in her eyes as well. I had mostly seen anger and frustration coming out of them towards me, during our many encounters, but as we started to become more friendly towards each other I had seen many other emotions being displayed.

I could see her struggling to open her eyes, she only opened them briefly, probably bothered by the light. I couldn't help my excitement.

"Quinn? Oh thank god, you're awake! We've been so worried about you!"

It took a while for Quinn to respond. At first I thought she hadn't heard me, that maybe she was dreaming or her body stirred for some other reason, or maybe even that I had imagined it, but then she said my name. Her voice sounded hoarse and crunchy, nothing like the beautiful tone I was used to. But it didn't matter what her voice sounded like, she had said my name! She was waking up! Never before had the sound of my name brought up so many emotions in me. I felt tears come to my eyes, both from happiness and sadness.

"What happened? Where am I?" She asked. Her eyes were open now and she looked right into mine.

"You're in the hospital, Quinn. You were in a car accident 5 days ago. A pickup truck slammed into you and your car went tumbling. It really is a miracle you're still alive, let alone not have head trauma. I'm so glad you're okay Quinn, I would've never forgiven myself if you had been more gravely injured. Not that I'm diminishing the injuries that you do have, I'm just really glad you're okay." I explained to her. I found myself saying way too much way too soon after someone wakes up from a 5 day comatose condition after a serious car accident. But it was just how I dealt with things. It then occurred to me that she was staring at me. I couldn't tell why she was looking at me the way she was, but I had never before been so relieved to see her smiling at me. Just the fact that she was smiling, meant so much already.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I saw her struggling to come up with a reason, maybe she hadn't realized how she had been smirking at me. I saw her lips move and it seemed like she was trying to say something, but there weren't any sounds coming out. I immediately let go of her hand and grabbed the glass of water sitting on her bedside table, I figured her throat must be pretty dry at the moment. After all, she hadn't been able to speak for 5 whole days. That thought seemed rather strange to me, but then again the thought of not speaking for 5 whole minutes seemed impossible to me.

"Here you go." I said as I held the glass of water in front of her, making sure she was able to zip from the straw. Quinn was obviously really thirsty, before long half the glass was empty. Or from a more optimistic standpoint, the glass was left half full. "Better?" I asked. She nodded at me and was again able to form words. "Yes, thank you." She said as she smiled at me. I more than happily returned the favor and a warmth spread over my body at the action. Her voice sounded a lot better already, she seemed to be getting rid of the haze that had hung over her when she woke. I saw her looking around, probably taking in the room a bit. Most be weird waking up in a hospital room, but it's a lot better than not waking up at all. I quickly pushed that thought aside, there was no room for negativity right now.

I saw her eyes scan my hand. The hand that just minutes before had had hers in it. I smiled at the thought. I didn't know why I had needed that contact every time I talked to her, it just seemed like the right thing to do.

"You're not wearing your ring?" She suddenly says, the tone between that of a statement and a question.

I hadn't really expected for that to come around so soon. How could her mind go to my wedding so soon after waking up. But then I realized it was my wedding she was headed to, if it hadn't been for my wedding, neither of us would be sitting here right now.

Again I pushed the negativity away from me. I should be focusing on keeping Quinn's return to the conscious as pleasant and comfortable as possible, so I explained why there was no ring on my finger, yet.

"The wedding has been postponed." I took a moment to continue, I needed to explain this right. "When you didn't show, I had this weird feeling inside. I was standing there looking at Finn, with all our friends and family surrounding us and I couldn't help but think something had happened to you. It was the strangest and most terrifying feeling I had ever had. I convinced Finn that we should wait because I really wanted you to be there and I got my dads to drive up the road you were supposed to be on."

The emotions started to rise up inside me again. Thinking back to the feeling that had come over me that moment, was truly terrifying. There was no right way to explain it, none of my friends had understood my reaction. They probably thought I was just being my usual dramatic self. But I knew something was wrong. I took a deep breath and decided to continue with the story, but Quinn seemed to already understand how the rest of the story would go.

"You found me?" She asked me. I could see from her facial expression that she didn't like asking the question.

I braced myself and answered her question as best I could, but I felt the emotions boiling inside me and I had trouble formulating the words.

"Yes." I told her. "I saw your car from afar and I knew my feelings had been right." I paused, tears were clouding my eyesight. Thinking back to those moments, made me gasp for breath every time. I knew that no matter what point in my life I'd be or how many new memories I gathered, I would never forget the scene that I had come across that day. "When I .. You .. It looked pretty bad. The doctors said that you might've bled to dead if we hadn't found you so fast."

The tears were now falling from my eyes. I felt terrible. I shouldn't be crying. I should be keeping it together, supporting Quinn in every way possible. Crying in front of her, getting emotional over how I had found her on the side of the road, was not gonna help either of us.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to make myself coherent through the tears that just wouldn't stop falling. "I don't mean to get all emotional on you, I'm just really happy that you're okay." As I said the words, I felt in my heart how much truth was in them. It's funny how it takes experiences like this to really look at what you have and what you want in your life. Maybe people should realize more often that life isn't something that should be taken for granted, it can be taken away from you so easily.

This was one of the reasons that I'd said yes to Finn. I felt so loved and understood when I was with him, I didn't think it was possible to find someone that would understand me better than he did. I know many of my friends thought it silly and irrational to even consider marrying your high school sweetheart before graduation, but when you know you love someone and you know they love you back, you should go for it and not think about the consequences. A little spontaneity never killed anyone, or on second thought, in this case, it almost did.

"You don't have to apologize, Rachel. Not at all." Quinn then said. I could see tears form in her eyes as well. She reached for my hand and I gladly held it like I had before and looked her in the eye.

"Where's Finn?" She suddenly asks. I needed a few seconds to recall where he had gone. Seeing Quinn open her eyes and talking to her, has had such an impact on my thoughts and feelings that I almost forgot that he was in the hospital as well. Then I remembered …

"He's gone to get some coffee. He's not very good with hospitals. He felt a bit awkward standing in the same room as you, while you were unconscious. He seemed afraid to say anything, worried you might overhear or something." I said, rolling my eyes in the process. I didn't really mind him not being here, he really wasn't much use in situations like this. Sure, he could give an inspirational speech every now and then, but when it came down to actual feelings and dealing with more important issues, he didn't seem as confident. I guess he has a lot of flaws, but so do I. I truly think that we fulfill each other. We're a great team and I know that being with Finn for the rest of my life, is something that will make me happy.

"Sounds like Finn." Quinn says, while grinning at her.

It felt nice to be able to share something like that with Quinn. We've been fighting over him for so long, but it looks like we'll finally be able to look at it as a common ground.

_Speak of the devil_ I thought to myself, as I heard someone knock at the door and Finn entered the room.

"Hey honey, I got you some decaf. I figured all that caffeine might be getting to you and it might be best that you got a bit more sleep tonight." He said.

He really could be sweet sometimes. I don't really like coffee all that much, I'd only been drinking it so that I could stay awake, so as not to miss any change in Quinn's conditions. But it's the thought that counts I guess. I smile at him sweetly, grateful for his understanding over the last couple of days. Not every guy would postpone his wedding just because his bride to be had a sudden feeling of anxiety. But then again anyone who knows me, knows the chance of the drama queen in me to appear every now and then. He smiled back at me fondly, which made my happiness grow even more. I saw his gaze wander to the bed and the look on his face changed to complete and utter surprise.

"Quinn, you're awake!" He lets out a little too loud to my liking. I grin to myself, unable to contain myself from rolling my eyes at the realization that it had taken him this long to realize that Quinn had her eyes open and was now sitting up in her hospital bed.

"Hey Finn." I hear Quinn whisper. Was that disappointment I heard in her voice? Maybe she didn't really like too much attention turned her way after waking up in the hospital. Just as I was about to ponder it further, Finn broke the silence that had come over them for the past minute or so.

"I'll go get the doctor, tell him you're awake."

I could tell he felt a bit awkward. He hadn't known what to do or say when Quinn was unconscious, and now that she was awake he seemed to be having the same problem. The moment he closed the door, my gaze flew back to Quinn. I was still holding her hand and felt very comfortable doing so. Her grip was a lot firmer now than it had been when she first woke up. I felt extremely grateful for that, knowing that I would no longer have to make myself be optimistic. I now had every reason to be optimistic.

When I heard her call my name, I was taken out of my thoughts. I looked up at her and found her eyes staring intently into mine.

"What is it, sweetie?" I responded. I immediately felt worried about using such a nick name for the blonde. Even though we're not enemies anymore, we weren't exactly exchanging pet names for each other either. Quinn didn't seem to mind though. Instead she moved her eyes to our intertwined hands and then moved her eyes to have them interlocked with mine again. I felt strangely nervous at the look she was giving me, and was starting to wonder if something was wrong.

"Thank you."

The amount of emotions radiating from the gorgeous blonde by my side, left me feeling breathless. Those were two words she had never thought to hear from the person that had stood out most of the past few years by tormenting me every chance she got. To now have her thank me, felt incredibly special.

"Thank you for coming to find me." She then continued. She had probably interpreted my silence as miscomprehension to why she was thanking me. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for saving my life. You've been so kind to me in the past, while I've been so cruel. You truly are an amazing person and I'm lucky to have you in my life."

I felt tears sting my face once more. In that moment, I felt so connected to Quinn. I know it shouldn't be that easy, but I knew that no matter what, I wouldn't hold her past against her anymore. High school was rough, I knew that better than anyone. Whatever her motivations had been for treating me the way she had, it was in the past. It was the rest of our lives we should be focusing on from here on out. A life in which we might actually become quite good friends.

I squeezed her hand in appreciation and found myself putting a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"And I'm really lucky to still have you in my life." I told her. I know she knows I mean it. She too must feel like we've been given a second chance. I wanted to tell her more, tell her that we should leave the past in the past and become actual friends. I wanted her to know just how much I cared about her and how truly happy I really was to be able to talk to her and look into her eyes. But I wasn't able to, since Finn had apparently found the doctor and he was now at their door.

"Quinn," He said. "It so good to see you've woken up." The blonde in question just stared at him, she of course had no idea who he was. The doctor seemed to realize this though, so he quickly introduced himself. "My name is Dr. Keller. I've been taking care of you since you were first brought in. I take it no one's told you of the injuries you've suffered because of the accident?"

I felt like such a jerk at that moment. I've been talking her ears of all this time and I hadn't even explained to her that she's had to have surgery and will probably not be cheerleading for the rest of high school.

Quinn shook her head no and looked up at the doctor in surprise. Her grip tightened a bit, as if she were readying herself for the blow that was about to come. I pinch back in reassurance and put my other hand on top of our intertwined one. I wanted to make sure she knew I was there for her and would support her in any way possible. She looked at me with gratitude and smiled before she returned her attention to the doctor.

He explained everything to her, just as he had done when he first came to talk to us the moment he was out of surgery. Quinn had been extremely lucky. The car that had rammed into hers had made them tumble over a few times before coming to a stop. During this time Quinn had lost consciousness almost immediately because of the impact, leaving her body loose and actually preventing her from breaking more bones. Her right arm had broken during the tumble and on her left side, two of her ribs were greatly bruised because of the impact. There were a few hemorrhages that they had to operate upon, in order to stop the internal bleeding, but other than that there were only other less severe injuries. It had taken this long for her to wake up because her body had needed to recover from the grave trauma it had endured and the great amount of blood that she'd lost. All in all, with a fair amount of physical therapy and plenty of rest she should be more than okay by the time they were to graduate.

"Will I still be able to dance?" She asked the doctor once he was through with his explanation, with serious worry in her voice. The question caught me completely by surprise. I had assumed that she'd want to know whether or not she'd be able to cheerlead anytime over her senior year, instead she was obviously worried about her part in the glee club and her ability to perform songs and dance. This fact made me feel extremely proud of the change in personality she had had.

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem. Dancing is actually quite good for the loosening up the muscles. You'll have to take things slow for while though, but dancing shouldn't be too much of a problem after a fracture like this." The doctor answered happily, very content with the look of relieve he had caused his patient to obtain. Sadly, it was not long-lived. "However, gymnastics, and therefore cheerleading, is another matter."

The recently reinstated cheerleader didn't seem to have realized this before it was just mentioned. The happiness had now disappeared from her eyes and sadness had taken its place. I could only imagine how torn she must be feeling. She had been so eager to return to her former position of cheerleading captain and win them nationals, but in a flash all of that had been taken from her. The doctor seemed to realize that struggling as well and that she needed some time to process things.

"I'll give you a chance to think this over, if you have any questions or concerns, just let me know and I'll be more than happy to listen and answer as best I can." Quinn looked up to him, sadness still clear on her features and gave him a short nod and a thank you. The doctor left the room but before he close the door, he turned around. "There's a group of teenagers together with your mother and one of your teachers outside, waiting patiently to come and see you. Seems like the oversized boy that came to find me has made a few calls. I'll sent them in three at a time, if you feel up to it?" He asks.

This information seemed to put some more life into the bruised blonde by my side. "Yeah, that'll be great." She answers. Something seemed to come to her mind when she quickly added. "Can Rachel stay?" The doctor smiled at them kindly, noticing their intertwined fingers and the ease they seemed to have being in each other's company. "Of course," He answered. "I'll let them know they can come in then."

I smiled at her appreciatively. I hadn't expected that last part at all.

"Are you sure, Quinn? Wouldn't you rather have your mum or Santana?" I asked, finding it a bit odd to want me beside her.

"Of course, Rachel, I mean if you don't mind. I'd really like you to stay with me."

I sounded like she really wanted me to stay and I had no reason what so ever not to grant her that wish. Right now I couldn't be happier to know that Quinn Fabray was leaning on me like a friend and I knew that I'd try to help her recover from this at best I could.

"I would be happy to." I answered her just as the first group of three entered the room.

* * *

><p>Okay guys, here's the second chapter. I know a lot of it is a repeat from the first chapter, but I felt the need to look at things through Rachel's eyes a bit more. As you' may or may not hae probably realized, I have no intention to have them realize their feelings towards each other just yet. They will however bond a lot over Quinn's recovery. I'm pretty sure where I want this story to go for at least another 6 chapters or so, so if you're interested so far, stay tuned ;-).<p>

Any comments on the story so far and what you think should happen are greatly appreciated. I'm always interested to hear someone else's thoughts and I might even try to turn the story in a certain direction because of it.

I wanted to thank you all for the many alerts that I've gotten so far and the reviews that I've received. It's definitely a motivation for making my updates as fast as possible!

Until next time!

Lucy


	3. Dreams & Presents

Chapter 3 Presents and dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs used

(Songs are in italics and dreams are in bold)

Group after group came in to overwhelm Quinn with gifts and declarations of love and support. All the while Rachel never left her side. She felt the incredible urge to stand by her through this. She was lucky enough that the blonde wanted her by her side, she would honor her wishes at best she could. During the many visits, she kept a watchful eye on the young woman lying next to her. She filled her drink when she thought she needed to. She encouraged the visitors to leave the patient so that the next group could enter at what she felt was the right time. She could tell the toll it was taking on Quinn, everybody so happy and cheerful. All beaming with joy due to the fact that she was still breathing. But you can only keep a smile on your face for so long. As she pushed the second to last group out the door, she told them to wait a couple of minutes before sending the last ones in.

"There's only one group left, I promise." She told the cheerleader, holding her hand tight. She knew Quinn was getting tired, she was getting quiet tired herself.

"Good, 'cause I honestly don't know how many 'I'm so glad you're okay I can hear anymore'." She said and let out a loud sigh.

"I know. But we're all just really glad that you're okay. None of us ever want to get this close to losing you again." Quinn just nodded in acknowledgement. She knew the small diva was right, she'd probably be doing the exact same thing if it had been any of the others. But she needed a bit of peace, she may have been unconscious the last five days, but she was tired as hell at the moment. "Besides, there's only Kurt, Blaine and Finn left. I thought I'd leave the best for last." She winks at Quinn who quirks up her eyebrows at her statement. Why she thought leaving those three for last was a good idea, was beyond her. But since her husband to be was one of them, she assumed that had been her reasoning. She felt a sense of envy course through her as she thought the happy couple. She really wanted to ask Rachel more about what their plans were now that the wedding had been postponed. But those questions were gonna have to wait for tomorrow.

Just then there was a knock on the door. "Hey sweetie," Kurt squealed in his high pitched voice as he opened the door. The three men entered the room, but unlike their friends they had come empty handed.

"I know you're probably tired of everyone bringing you flowers, so Finn, Blaine and I thought we'd give you something else."

Quinn looked at them questioningly, not really understanding at first what he could mean. Rachel on the other hand knew exactly what he meant and scowled at Kurt for not explaining things right. Kurt saw the look the drama queen was giving him and quickly corrected himself.

"Actually, Rachel texted me, saying she wanted us to do something differently, to end the day on a good note, so to speak."

Quinn's gaze moved to Rachel's who was now smiling with pride.

"I just thought to myself, what I thought would be the best way to cheer someone up, and it suddenly dawned on me that we've all grown so accustomed to showing our emotions through song. So I thought it'd be a great idea to do the same this time and sing you a song."

Before Quinn could protest or respond in any way, Blaine started singing the first lines to the song.

_Some things in life are bad, they can really make you mad  
>Other things just make you swear and curse<em>

Quinn chuckled immediately, completely in awe of how well Blaine was imitating the scene from Monty Python. They all gathered around her and smiled at each other as he continued with the next few lines.

_When you're chewing on life's gristle, don't grumble give a whistle  
>This will help things turn out for the best<em>

They all were smiling brightly as the chorus began. They knew the words so they happily sang together.

_Always look on the bright side of life  
>Always look on the right side of life<em>

As Kurt sang the next part, he expressed the words by mimicking this with his face. This made everyone smile even more.

_If life seems jolly rotten, there's something you've forgotten  
>And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing<br>When you're feeling in the dumps, don't be silly, chumps  
>Just purse your lips and whistle<br>That's the thing_

Again they sang the chorus together. They were now holding hands, each as grateful as the other for being able to share this moment with each other.

_And always look on the bright side of life  
>Always look on the right side of life<em>

Rachel started singing the next bit. She had hesitated for using this part, because it hit a bit too close to home for them right now. But it was humoristic and it was always better to laugh than to cry, right?

_For life is quite absurd and death's the final word  
>you must always face the curtain with a bow<br>Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin  
>enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow<em>

Even though the song didn't need the most adequate singing voice, Rachel sang it beautifully. You almost didn't realize the bit of darkness that came along with the words. She kept her eyes locked on Quinn's the entire time and the blonde just happily wiggled along with the tune.

_So, always look on the bright side of death  
>Just before you draw your terminal breath<em>

Rachel continued staring into hazel eyes and they stared right back into brown. It felt like they were singing the song to each other. Like they were the only ones in the room.

Finn sang the last verse, joy emanating his every being while he gave Quinn a squeeze in her shoulder and winked to his better half.

_Life's a piece of shit and when you look at it  
>Life's a laugh and death's the joke, it's true<br>You see, it's all a show, keep them laughing as you go  
>Just remember that the last laugh is on you<em>

_Always look on the bright side of life  
>And always look on the right side of life<br>Always look on the bright side of life  
>And always look on the right side of life<em>

As they sang and whistled for the last time, Quinn could feel her eyelids close more and more. She had a smile on her face and a peaceful serenity coming off her, which made her friends very happy. Rachel was now convinced that she'd made the perfect choice in suggesting to sing to her. "That was beautiful guys, thank you so much." As she got the words out, she just managed to stifle a yawn in the others laughed at her tiredness.

"I guess we better go, seems like all this excitement has finally tired you out." Blaine tells the room, while gathering the jacket he had put aside during the song. Finn and Kurt join him in gathering their things. Finn looks up questioningly at Rachel.

"Are you coming?" He asks, longing to be alone with Rachel at last. These last few days had all been about Quinn, but now that she was awake and well, there was no more need to worry about her constantly and he could finally tell her what's been on his mind. Quinn had closed her eyes and her breathing had slowed down. Her hand was still in Rachel's making the brunette hesitate in letting it go.

"Actually, I think I'm gonna stay." She tells him. She uses her free hand to move the chair back to its position, before they had started singing and made herself comfortable. "Quinn asked me to stay by her side, I owe her enough to at least be true to my word."

Finn starts to disagree, but he changes his mind and just nods instead. He's disappointed at still not getting his fiancé back, but he knows she's feeling bad and needs to be sure that their friend is okay. He couldn't help but wonder whether or not Quinn would be doing the same for her, had the roles been reversed. He walked over to Rachel, gave her a peck on the lips and told her goodnight. Together with Kurt they headed home. Finn and Rachel, together with her dads, had decided they'd live with them from now on, that way they could at least settle into the prospect of living together. But at the moment, he didn't really feel comfortable sleeping in her bed, without her by his side.

Quinn was completely exhausted after the day's had. It didn't take her long to drift away to sleep, with several very lively dreams.

**Quinn was standing in a church. She was facing the crowd and singing a beautiful love song together with the other kids in Glee. All except two. Rachel en Finn weren't singing with them, they were standing at the altar, holding hands and smiling at each other. Quinn felt tears come into her eyes. She was happy for them, really. For both of them. She could tell they really loved each other. She could only hope she could find someone that would love her the way that they loved each other.**

**Just as they were about to say their I Do's, the scene fades away. Now Quinn is sitting in the crowd for a Broadway show. Tina and Mike were sitting beside her and Brittany and Santana were there as well. She looks up to the stage and on walks Rachel Berry. She's dazzling the crowd with her amazing performance. Quinn looks to the side and can see someone standing between the curtains. She catches a brief glance at his face and posture. It's Finn Hudson, smiling and supporting her wife while she's making it big time.**

While Quinn was dreaming of the life Rachel just might have and the envy she'll continue to feel, Rachel is also far away in dreamland. Her dreams however are far from the glamour that Quinn pictures Rachel's life to become.

**She's sitting in the back of her dads' car. Her stomach is aching, she can tell something's wrong. All she can think about is Quinn. They've only recently embraced the fact that they should be friends. Never before had she considered it to be possible, she had tried numerous times but had been turned down each town. As she looked back over the last three years she couldn't help but think that Quinn had been there for her biggest moments and she had been there for hers. It was inevitable for them to become close friends, she knew that in her heart.**

**The car came to a halt and she heard her daddy exclaim a soft 'oh my god'. Rachel immediately opened her door, but froze when she saw what had stopped her father in his tracks. There were two cars on top of each other. There was a large truck, smoke was coming out of it and there was a giant dunk in the hood. It was hanging half way over the other car, which was in a much worse state. It had clearly been rammed in the side, right where the driver would sit. It was only then that she realized that it was Quinn's car. She started to run towards the wrecks. Her fathers yelled after her, telling her to come back. But she didn't hear them. All that her mind was taking in was the catastrophe before her and the fact that she could make out something where the driver's seat was. **

**As she approached she saw blonde hair and her heart was beating in her throat. It couldn't be … She didn't want to believe it. She was standing by the car and as she knelt down, something beside her caught her eye. It was a cell phone, miraculously still intact. It said: 'On my way'. The most horrific sense of dread came over her. Quinn had been rushing to make it in time for HER WEDDING. It was because of her that Quinn had gotten in a car crash. She was responsible. There was a hand on her shoulder, someone was moving her to the side, away from the car. "No," She said. "My friend, I have to help her." She looked around and saw a medical team around the vehicles. "It's okay honey, the paramedics are with her, they'll help her." Rachel glanced up to the person at her side. It was her dad. She turned into him and started sobbing. "Please tell me that she'll be okay." She let out while the tears kept falling. Her dad looked over to the paramedics. **

**They were working on the girl and it seemed like they were trying to get her heart beating again. He saw one of them shook their head at another and he started crying as well. Rachel noticed the tears falling on her face, tears that weren't hers. She looked up and saw her father crying. "Daddy … ?" She needed him to tell her she was alright. She needed to hear that she was still breathing and they would be able to fix her up, good as new. But she saw the sadness and despair in his eyes. "Honey …" He tried, but he couldn't finish the sentence. She turned around, stepping out of the embrace and her heart broke. There, near the wrecks of the car crash was something covered by a black plastic, all but the person's feet. Rachel ran over, praying to every god she had knowledge of, that it wasn't Quinn Fabray. Just as she reached over to pull away the plastic to reveal the victim's face, everything around her went dark.**

"Quinn!" Rachel yelled out, as she woke from her dream. She was curled up in the chair beside the blonde cheerleader. The moment she realized it was a dream, she leaped out of the chair and walked over to the girl. She stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "I almost lost you." She whispers softly. Tears started falling from her eyes, remnants from the terrible dream she'd just had. She crawls onto the bed, needing to feel her beside her. Quinn was still vast asleep. She seemed to be dreaming. Her smile had faded though, which made Rachel wonder what she could be dreaming about.

**This time she's in someone's home. There's food on the table and music in the background. She can't really make out which song is playing though, because there's too much noise. She hears screaming from where she thinks the kitchen might be. "I was on my way to becoming a star. I had all my dreams right in front of me. I was so close to reaching my potential, but then you happened. Now I'm a mother of two, I work a boring office job and when I come home at night I have two children that demand my attention and a giant of a husband that can't even make his own sandwiches." **

**Quinn could hear the anger in her voice. She felt so sad for Rachel for not reaching her dreams. "You do this every time our friends visit and talk about their experiences on stage. You can't blame me for holding you back. I've done everything that I can to make you happy. I've been supportive of you through everything. It's not like you never get to sing anymore. You sing every night before you put the kids to sleep." **

**There's pots and pans being thrown around. "You so don't get it! All my life the only thing I'd ever wanted was to perform on Broadway, to be a star. I should've listened to my friends back then when they told me I wasn't meant to stay in Lima and waited to marry you. Now I'm stuck in a miserable marriage and a dead end job, all because you wanted to tie me down. I hate you Finn Hudson!" A door gets slammed hard and she can hear someone stomping up the stairs.**

Just then, she wakes up with a shock. Bits and pieces of the dreams she had were still on her mind and she's wondering what they could have meant. Were they a glimpse into the future? Was it God or whoever's up there's way to encourage her to convince Rachel to reconsider marrying Finn? She was left pondering all of this until she suddenly felt something stir beside her. She looks to her left where the small diva was curled up beside her and couldn't help but smile.

For a second she didn't know where she was or why she was waking up with Rachel at her side. When she feels the pain coming from her right arm however, everything falls back into place. She puts a strand of the diva's hair behind her ear and repositions herself a bit, careful so as not to hurt herself or wake the cute brunette at her side. She closes her eyes and drifts back to sleep, hoping that it will be of the dreamless kind but determined to talk to Rachel tomorrow about the questions that her previous dream had brought up

* * *

><p>So here's another chapter. I wanted to upload this before the new episode aired and make sure I did it without the influence the next episode might have.<p>

I'd really like your feedback on this! I have a few thoughts on where I want the story to go but I'm not feeling as motivated as I'd like to be so some reviews could definitely help :-).

Suggestions are always welcome, but I'd really just love to know that there's people interested in seeing where this story goes ...

Until next time :D

Lucy


	4. Going Home

Chapter 4 Going home

The next morning the girls were found cuddled up next to each other by a nurse doing her rounds. As she checked on Quinn's vitals, trying to be quiet so as not to wake the girls, she couldn't help but smile at the closeness between the two. _They must be really close friends_ she thought to herself.

Rachel slowly woke from hearing someone move around the room. When she saw it was a nurse, she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep until she left. Rachel then moved back to the chair she'd occupied before her nightmare and drifted back off to sleep. Part of her just didn't want Quinn to realize they had slept in the same bed together.

An hour or so later, visiting hours had started and Quinn's mum walked in the room. Hearing the door open and close, causes the blonde to wake from what was luckily now a dreamless sleep. She opened her eyes and smiled at her mum. As she approached further, she returned the smile and gave her a light kiss on her forehead.

"It's good to see you smile." She tells her daughter with relieve evident on her face. "How did you sleep?" She asks, curious to find out what could've been the cause of her youngest daughter to not be grumpy early in the morning.

"Okay, I guess." She answers, still sounding plenty sleepy. "I think I woke up once though, from a bad dream." She glances over to Rachel. She could've sworn the tiny diva had been on the bed beside her when she woke, but since she was now in the same position she had been in before they'd fallen asleep, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Judy catches her gaze move towards the brunette and smiled at the sleeping form. "So I guess Rachel still hasn't managed to leave your side, huh?"

Quinn looks at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she's been by your side every minute she could spare." She explains. "Before school she would come in and read from a couple of magazines." She saw a Teen Vogue lying on her bedside table and handed it to Quinn. "Like this one. During what I guess were her free periods and during lunch, she would drop by to see if there were any changes. She'd also change the playlist on your iPod. When I asked her about it, she told me that she thought the music you would listen to in the morning was different from the music you'd listen to in the afternoon." Quinn chuckled at the explanation and couldn't help but think: '_Typical Rachel'_. She smiled and continued to smile while Judy continued. "She'd also come by after school, but only while there was cheerleading practice. The other days Brittany and Santana would come by. I don't know why she didn't come along with them, she seems to have an own set of logic about pretty much anything."

Quinn was surprised to hear how much her former enemy had done for her these past few days. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd done it out of guilt. It was completely misplaced of course, since she was in no way to blame for her stupidity, but she knew her well enough to understand the possibility of her feeling that way.

Before she could ponder it further, there was a knock on the door, causing her focus to shift towards the doctor who had just walked in. The knock caused Rachel to wake as well, though it went unnoticed by the others in the room.

"Hi Quinn, good to see you up. I hope you had a good night's sleep." He starts off, wanting to bring up something simple before moving on to more serious matters. Quinn didn't have the same patience whoever. She just nods at his question and asks one of her own.

"When can I go home?"

Both Judy and the doctor chuckle at her eagerness to leave the hospital.

"Well, let's see." He grabs the chart that was hanging at the end of her bed and studies the result closely. "Your vitals look okay. As long as they only change for the better, I see no reason to make you spent another night."

This immediately brings a gigantic smile on the blondes face.

"I'll make sure your physical therapy schedule is in order. You'll be coming in 3 times a week for starters, and depending on your progress that could decrease to 2 weeks and eventually once every week. I'll also write a note for your school saying you have to rest for at least another two weeks, after which you can try to go part time for a while until you and I agree that you're up to it. All you'll need beside that, is your prescriptions and you'll be good to go home."

"Two weeks of school?" Judy asks worriedly. "That's a lot to catch up on. She's graduating in a couple of months, if she falls behind now, she could get in trouble."

Rachel, who had been uncharacteristically quiet so far, now spoke up to _**reassure**_ Judy. "Don't worry Mrs. Fabray, I'll come by every day with her homework if necessary. But Quinn's at the top of our class already, so I'm sure she'll be just fine. Who knows, maybe she'll even beat me in becoming valedictorian."

Both the Fabray women and the doctor stared at her in awe. Especially Quinn was surprised by the offer and she couldn't help but think that something good might actually come out of this: a genuine friendship with Rachel. She smiled at her in appreciation and received a full on Rachel Berry smile in return.

"That's very kind of you, Rachel, but I wouldn't want you to go through too much trouble. I'm sure the principal will help in keeping her up to speed with her assignments." Judy tells her kindly, not wanting to take advantage of the girl that had done so much for her daughter already, while she had always been under the impression that they couldn't stand each other.

"It's no problem at all, Mrs. Fabray. I'm in most of Quinn's classes anyway, so I'll be better at explaining the assignments to her. I could even help her study if it were necessary." Rachel offers further, warming both blonde's hearts.

"I would love that Rachel, thank you." Quinn accepts, before her mum could argue it further. They share another warm smile before the doctor interrupts their interaction.

"Well, now that that's settled … I'll leave you to it. I'll come by around noon to check your vitals and if everything checks out I'll be preparing your release papers." He receives a smile from each girl at that announcement as he walks out the door.

After the doctor leaves, Rachel announces she should be heading out as well. Apparently she hadn't seen much of her dads since the accident and she felt a strong need to tell them just how important they were to her. She also needed to talk to Finn, since he had sent her 5 text messages already that morning, but she didn't mention that last part in her explanation. She squeezed Quinn's hand one more time, gave them both a wave and headed towards the door. Before she pulled it open, she was stopped by Quinn calling out her name.

"Rachel?"

She turned around and smiled at the beautiful blonde. She couldn't help but wonder how it were possible that she still looked absolutely radiant despite having been in a near fatal car accident and dressed up in a hospital gown. Flashes of the dream she had that night came back to her, but she hid the hurt that it was causing her and replied as happily as she could.

"Yes Quinn?"

"I know you've already done so much for me and I doubt I'll ever be able to express the full amount of my gratitude, but I was wondering if you'd like to come back around the time that they'll be releasing me?"

She asked the question in a way that would surely get the diva's attention, hoping it might tip the scale in her favor. She didn't know why she felt the need to ask, her mum would be there and she didn't feel the need to ask Brittany or Santana, but Rachel had helped her so much already and she felt like this way she was making it clear that she was ready for them to be friends and friends asked for support in moments like that. There was also something about Rachel that morning that was different to last night, she couldn't put her finger on it though.

Rachel didn't respond right away which made Quinn think that maybe she was asking too much. She quickly added: "You don't have to of course, I mean I'm sure you got better things to do. Your dads and Finn probably miss …"

"I'll be there." Rachel answers before she could finish her sentence. She smiles a genuine smile at the blonde and continues out the door.

Quinn couldn't be more thrilled that she'd accepted her offer. Maybe she could get Rachel to hang out later. Then she could properly thank her for everything she's done so far and release her from any guilt she might be feeling. There was also the nagging question of their wedding and whether it would be happening soon. The dream had only made her more convinced that she needs to change Rachel's mind in tying herself down to an oaf of a man that could give her only a glimpse of the happiness she was meant for.

_Later that same day_

Rachel hurries over as soon as she got the text. After she left the hospital, she called Finn and they met up. She was happy to leave his house when Quinn let her know her release was confirmed, being with the blonde at the moment was just what she needed to lift her spirits. Her afternoon with Finn had been far from cheerful.

"Hi Quinn." She says after knocking and being given permission to enter. She had stood outside her door for a few minutes, gathering herself enough to enter. The conversation she had with Finn was still on her mind, but she needed to push that aside so she could be a good friend to Quinn.

"How are you?" She adds, while approaching the bed. She put her stuff aside on one of the chairs and made her smile as genuine as possible. It didn't quite reach her eyes though.

"I'm good actually." Quinn answers happily. "I'm really happy to be heading home."

"Not just yet." They hear someone behind them say. Quinn's smile falters a bit at the announcement. She wanted out of here already.

"They're still getting the papers ready for me to sign and they've also got some instructions they want me to go through with them." Judy explains.

She ignores the groans of frustration her daughter utters and turns to the brunette instead.

"Rachel, would you mind staying with my grumpy daughter while I go see the doctor for the last bits of paper work? I won't be long but she seems to need supervision, otherwise she might just go roaming the halls again."

Quinn smirks and Rachel turns to look at her. She just shrugs it off, seeming unfazed by the accusation. Rachel smiles and turns back to the older Fabray.

"I don't mind at all, Mrs. Fabray." She answers politely. This time the genuineness of her smile is more believable, but the former cheerleader still felt like it didn't carry the full sentiment she was used to. She'd wait 'till they were alone to ask her about it.

"Please sweetie, call me Judy. We're long past formalities."

Rachel smiles at the older woman as she throws a wink at her. _Yes,_ she thought, _this is exactly what I need right now. _Once Judy was out the door, she went to sit beside Quinn on the bed. She'd already changed back into regular clothes, with her right arm hanging in a brace from her shoulder, and seemed to need some distraction to pass the time.

"Did you have any more visits today?" She asks, breaking the comfortable silence that had started between the two as they made themselves comfortable on the bed.

"My aunt came by in the morning. She's really cool, she used to take me shopping and stuff. I don't see her much these days, since she's dad's sister, but it was really nice of her to stop by."

Rachel nodded, but remained silent, letting her do the talking for once.

"Santana and Brittany came by around lunch. They were complaining some more about the way Sue had been handling the cheerios the past week."

"Yeah, she seems to be on a total rampage, this time against anyone who has a phone." Rachel said, having noticed how she'd been punishing anyone that was caught texting by throwing things at them to scare them and convince them of the safety hazards. Luckily Rachel hadn't been one of coach Sylvester's targets since she was very observant and hardly ever walked while texting.

"The cheerios had it worse though, according to Santana. She's had a shoe, a basketball and a bucket filled with water thrown at her." Quinn told her seriously

Rachel couldn't help but roll her eyes and barely managed the laughter that was rising in her throat. Quinn eyed her curiously, considering Rachel wasn't someone who often laughs at other people's misery. When they looked each other in the eyes, both started a row of giggles, unable to stop laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. When they finally recovered from their laughing fit, Quinn thought of something else the other two of the unholy trinity had told her.

"Brit told me about the next assignment, picking the best song to welcome me back. Your idea?" She asks, pretty sure of what the answer would be, which warms her heart, just knowing how much she cares.

Rachel nods shyly, a bit uncomfortable by being confronted so abruptly.

"It's hardly a competition though." The blonde tells her, trying to smooth over the awkwardness between them. She pokes her with her shoulder and continues. "How can anybody pick a better song then you? You've been handling my playlist for the past 5 days."

Rachel smiles at her, surprised but appreciative of the complement.

"I can't believe they told you." She starts, coming out of her reverie with a full on ramble in place. "It was supposed to be a surprise. I wanted you to come back to school and see that we've been thinking about you. We tend to be pretty good at expressing ourselves through song, so what better way to welcome you back to Glee. I know you're not too big on surprises, but this is one I thought you'd like. I actually already have the perfect song picked out … " She pauses for a second and then remembers what else the she'd said. "Wait, you know about the playlists?" She asks, turning her face towards Quinn to look her straight in the eye.

Quinn smirks and just as she's about to explain what her mum had told her that morning, said woman enters the room.

"Okay Quinn, gather your things, we're going home." She tells her daughter, knowing the excitement it would cause.

Quinn let out a loud cheer, clearly grateful for leaving the pale room she'd been in the last week. Sure, she'd been unconscious for most of those days, but she longed to be in her own room, with her stuff around. She gets of the bed and jumps straight into Rachel's arms. She happily returns the hug, careful not to pull her too close, avoiding any hurt that might cause.

"Rachel, would you like to join us for diner?" Judy asks, while watching the scene and the happiness emanating from the two.

She looks up at Quinn who still has a gigantic smile on her face. She nods at her, after which Rachel turns to Judy. "I would love to."

The doctor walks in, rolling in a wheelchair. Since it's hospital policy, she can't leave unless it's in a wheelchair. That's a sacrifice that Quinn's more than happy to make, so she puts herself in the chair. The thought crosses her mind that, if things had been worse, she might be bound to that chair right now. She'd never fully considered how hard it must be for Artie who in fact was paralyzed from the waist down after a sever car crash. It would take a while for her right arm and all her other bruises to heal, but at least the damage wasn't long term.

As Rachel wheels Quinn out of the hospital, both girls are pleasantly content being in each other's company. They had the rest of the school year to become the friends that Rachel always wanted them to be, and they were gonna cease every moment of it.

Diner was going very smoothly. Judy had been thoroughly informed by her daughter that Rachel was vegan, so she had gotten everything she needed in order to make her something simple that should fulfill her needs. The conversations while they ate differed from Glee and the cheerios, to childhood stories from both girls and the dreams they now had for their futures.

Even though Rachel was only a finalist for NYADA at the moment, she was convinced she'd get in. It's all she'd ever wanted and she'd worked too hard to believe it to go any other way. Both Fabrays, even Quinn although she'd heard it many a times, were happy to hear the girl talk so passionately about her dreams of making it on Broadway.

Quinn was very excited for Yale as well. When she looks back on her life, so much had gone wrong and everything that she thought was right, had turned out to be something different all together. She saw Yale as an opportunity to start anew. She'd meet new friends, have new life experiences and she'd be able to let go of the past.

After diner Rachel thanked Judy for what was a surprisingly tasteful meal. After offering to help with the washing up and having the offer refused, she and Quinn moved upstairs.

When Rachel entered the room, she was pleasantly surprised. It had a pretty girly feel to it, but more in a grown up way. She couldn't help but wonder how it had looked three years ago, before Beth, before she had to grow up in order to take care of the life inside of her.

There were a few picture around, some from cheerios, others with her mum and who she thought must be her sister. She also saw a couple of the group pictures from Glee. The diva smiled at that, knowing it had come to mean a great deal for the blonde.

She walks over to one of the shells on the wall and picks up a picture with Quinn, Santana en Brittany on it, all three in their cheerleading outfits and a big smile on their faces.

"You miss it?" Rachel asks, showing Quinn the picture to explain where the question came from.

"Yeah, I do." Quinn tells her, with quite a bit of sadness in her voice. "I don't cling to it as much as I used to, but most of my happiest moments over the last three years were when I was a cheerleader. It hurts to have to walk away from that."

Rachel wanted to respond, but before she could Quinn cut her off.

"I know what you're gonna say. There's still Glee and I'll still get to dance in a couple of weeks, definitely by the time Nationals comes around. But cheerleading was my first love, the first thing I was really good at and felt like I could be myself with. It gave me a lot of power and while I admittedly took a bit too much advantage of that at times, which you can definitely attest to, it also made me the person I am today."

Rachel shakes her head no and walks closer to the former cheerleader, who was still standing at the edge of the room.

"That's not what I was gonna say. You still have time to make to the National Cheerleading Championship as well. It's only March and if you put in the same amount of effort that I've seen you put in tormenting me and afterwards in Glee, you might be able to compete with them and win the championship. I believe in you Quinn, now you just have to believe in yourself." She told her, wanting to encourage her to fulfill the dreams she had for herself in her high school years.

"We'll see." Quinn answers with a soft smile but a tone that indicated she wanted a change of subject since she was getting a bit uncomfortable. She closes the door behind her and walks over to the bed. She pats the space beside her, indicating for Rachel to join. "So, how have you been?" She asks the brunette sincerely which causes a frown to appear on her head.

"You just got released from the hospital after being in a car crash which left you with a broken arm and a lot of bruises, and you're asking me how I've been? Shouldn't it be the other way around?" She asks confusedly, with a bit of lighthearted laughter in her voice to mask her nerves. Usually, she didn't mind being the topic of discussion, she encouraged it actually. But she was trying to be better at being there for others. Also, she didn't really want to talk about what was going on in the back of her mind.

"Listen Rachel, I don't expect everything that's happened between us to just be forgiven and forgotten, I don't deserve that as far as I'm concerned. But I do want you to know that I'm your friend and as your friend, I can tell something is wrong." She turns to face Rachel and pulls her feet up under her so that she's fully on the bed. "You were different this morning, like something was bothering you but you didn't want anyone to know. Generally, that's not how you work. You're usually so eager to tell others what's on your mind. I know I haven't been the best confidant for you, but I'd like to be, if you let me."

Rachel was happy for the admission and cherished it beyond believe that Quinn genuinely cared enough about her to notice when something's wrong. Part of her, mostly the selfish part she thought, wanted to confide in her. Wanted to tell her about the dream and fears that came with it. Wanted to tell her about the situation with Finn. She really wanted Quinn in her life and confiding in her now, was a way to do just that. But another part of her, the less selfish part, wanted to keep those things to herself. Quinn didn't need to know about her frantic fear of losing her or the fact that her relationship with the boy they had fought over was on the rocks. Considering it to be an alliance between the two, she decided to stick to one of the issues. She didn't want the friendship between them to be strained, before it could even blossom.

Quinn kept quiet Rachel was gathering her thoughts. She could tell she was weighing her options and trying to decide whether or not to accept her offer. She tried to remain patient, but Rachel had been lost in thought for at least five minutes.

"Rach?" She asks, while placing her left hand on one of the smaller girl. The gesture seemed to pull Rachel out of her thoughts, just when she had made a decision. She instantly pushes herself of the bed and starts pacing around.

"I don't know if I should tell you this." She says nervously, knowing she wants to be needing to build up to it.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. Trust me." The blonde offers as she watches her walk about the room, giving her another smile for the kind words.

"It's Finn." She says.

When she doesn't elaborate, Quinn has no choice but to push the matter. "Trouble in paradise?" She asks, trying to make sound more like a statement of concern than relieve, which is what she's actually feeling.

"After I left the hospital this morning and went to tell my dads how much I love them, I drove over to his house. He'd sent me several text messages, urging for me to come over so we could talk."

Quinn knew that Rachel really loved him and if she was honest, she also knew that Finn was actually a better person when he was with her. Not exactly marriage material at 18 though, but still. The tone in Rachel's voice however, was confusing her. She couldn't tell whether she was angry or sad.

"What did he want to talk about?" Quinn asks, the thought of a possible break up crossing her mind, causing her to feel both happy and sad for the tiny person pacing around in front of her.

"Apparently, you being in a car crash has made him see the light."

Quinn had not expected that to be the start of her explanation and was even more confused and eager for her friend to continue.

"Finn said, quote _'Seeing Quinn all unconscious and stuff, made me realize that life is short and things that are important to you could slip away at any moment'_ unquote. He also said a bunch of stuff about living up to your potential and there's no such thing as the present, I kinda zoned out for that, since I kinda live with those quotes, hell, I am those quotes."

Quinn smiled a little at her words, but hearing the seriousness behind them and the clear frustration it was causing the diva, she kept quiet and let Rachel continue once more.

"Finn has applied to Julliard, NYADA and other schools that have respected acting programs near or in New York. He's planning on looking into graduating early so he can get started with his life after high school. He wants to enroll in an acting class so he can get the basics down before getting into college. He knows he might be too late for acceptance to the fall semester but hopes to at least get in come spring or next year at the latest. He's looking for jobs locally but also in New York so he can get the money he might need for school and so we can get an apartment to live together once we're married. The wedding would still happen after Nationals, like we planned, but the honeymoon might have to be postponed."

Quinn sat there, her mouth agape. That was a lot of information to process. She couldn't help but wonder which part had made Rachel so upset …

* * *

><p>Hi everyone. Here's another chapter for my first Glee fanfic. I hope you all enjoyed it! Comments and ideas for future chapters are always welcome. I hope I get a bit more response soon, but I'll keep writing none the less. Any and all mistakes are mine.<p>

Until next time!

Lucy


	5. Heartfelt conversations

Chapter 5: Heartfelt conversations

Both girls had been quiet for a while. Quinn was thinking over everything that Rachel had said and was really confused about it. It sounded like the guy who had never had a lot of plans or goals for his future, finally got his act together and really wanted to make something of himself. Being an actor didn't really seem like the best thing for him, in Quinn's mind, but at least he was trying.

Rachel stopped pacing and glared at the blonde. "Aren't you gonna say something?" She asks, almost sounding angry for the lack of feedback that she was getting.

"Honestly, I don't really know what to say …" Quinn says softly. She looks up to meet Rachel's eyes. It's clear that she's really upset and she'd like nothing more than to change that and have the confident and cheery side of the diva return, but she didn't know what it was that had her so upset.

"Why exactly are you so upset about this? It sounds to me like he's actually starting to figure some stuff out for his future. I've never known him to actually try and live up to his potential and work so hard for it before. Maybe this could be good for him. He might not become the best actor, but he seems eager enough to try." Quinn states, hoping not to upset the girl further but still very much confused why she feels so strong about all this.

"I'm upset because …" She starts, but fails to continue as she's a bit lost about her reasoning herself. "It's just not what I had expected." She finally says, in a much softer voice and sounding really vulnerable. "I thought the next few months would be us enjoying the last of our high school experience. We would go to Nationals together and we would actually win, together. Then we would get married and as soon as we graduated, together, we would go on our honeymoon. Nothing fancy of course, it's not like we can afford that, but I was really looking forward to it just being the two of us for a romantic getaway before all the mayor and busy things took over. But now that's not happening …"

Quinn noticed how often she had said together throughout her rambling and couldn't help but cringe from it. Rachel really wanted him by her side for all these things and Finn was too blind to see it. She started to understand what had the girl so agitated now.

"Did you tell him that? That you want him by your side, I mean, I'm sure he could understand that."

"I tried to. He just seemed to think that I didn't want to support him because I thought he was stealing my thunder. Which is not true of course, if he wants to pursue acting, I'm more than willing to stand by his side for it and help him anyway I can. He just doesn't seem to realize that. I do have some insecurities about us both being in the spotlight and how if one of us is more successful than the other, we might end up resenting each other for it. But that doesn't matter now, by that time, if either one of us actually gets to that level, I hope we'll have a strong and solid marriage where that wouldn't be an issue. We definitely don't feel strong or solid at the moment." Tears were starting to form behind her eyes but she tried to fight them back with all the will power she could muster. She hadn't expected to let herself become so vulnerable in front of Quinn, there was just something about her that made Rachel trust her and value her opinion. Part of her was definitely happy to be getting it of her chest.

Quinn was getting angry as she listened to Rachel's explanation. Finn actually thought he could steal her thunder. What world was he living in? She wanted nothing more than to pummel some sense in the guy and was really close to telling Rachel how strongly she felt about her making a mistake in staying with Finn, but that was probably the last thing she wanted to hear right now. She walked over to Rachel and pulled her in for a hug, which wasn't exactly easy given that her right arm was in a cast, but the hug was gratefully reciprocated nonetheless.

"First of," She started, as she pulled away slightly so she could look into those big brown eyes. "No one can ever steal your thunder. For him to think that, makes him even more of an oaf than I thought he was." Okay, so maybe she did need to hear that a little. Rachel chuckled a bit, but the tears were still close to falling. Quinn couldn't let that happen, so she continued. "Second of all, it still only lives inside his head for the moment, which doesn't exactly make it a sure thing. He might not even be able to get his GED or get into any acting classes, since they don't usually start at this time a year. And third," She almost reluctantly added, knowing it would help suit the girl's mind but not knowing how truthful it would turn out to be, it's still Finn Hudson they're talking about. "I'm sure once Finn realizes what you're actually feeling, he'll feel bad about what he said. He's still gonna want to spend plenty of time with you, whether he's still in school or not. And if he's not, you'll still have me and the rest of Glee to experience the next few months with." She smiles and winks at the tiny brunette, who was still very much pressed against her with her go arm on her back, which neither seemed to be bothered by.

Rachel smiled back at her, the most genuine smile she had given all day. Quinn had known exactly what to say to make her feel better, and again she was feeling very lucky to finally be able to call Quinn Fabray, former head cheerleader and most intimidating presence in her life, a true friend.

After their highly emotional talk, they both wanted something else to busy themselves with, something more fun and relaxing. Rachel suggested watching a movie or playing board games, and since Quinn was not exactly eager to be watching Funny Girl at the moment, she went off to find some of the old board games she knew they had lying around. They eventually settled for both Monopoly and Clue. During the games, they were laughing and feeling really at ease with each other. It was a first for them, to be so freely and able to be their selves around each other. They talked about all kinds of stuff, things that don't really matter all that much, but you're happy to be sharing with someone who's willing to listen. In those few hours, they learnt more about each other than they had thought possible.

Rachel had never been so happy to just be spending quality time with someone, she'd never had a friend for herself. Sure she had Kurt, Mercedes and Tina and all the other kids in Glee, but this was different. Quinn wanted her there, purely for company, and she found her affections for the girl growing stronger. She finally knew what it meant to have a best friend.

Quinn got to see the girl behind the diva, someone who can be really down to earth and easy to be around, but also someone that isn't as confident as she tends to present herself. She had seen glimpses of that girl since she got to know her better, but this time it wasn't because her walls had been teared down by someone that intentionally wanted to hurt her or by a confrontation that she had set up. This time it was because she hadn't felt to need to put those walls up.

Rachel got to see the better side of the girl who is often feared when her HBIC persona comes out to play. She began to see how all of that was just a defense mechanism, a way for her to prevent people from getting too close and able to cause her pain. When she lets down her defenses, she's such a sweet and thoughtful person. Someone with an incredibly large heart, that could so easily be broken. Rachel always knew there was more to the blonde that what met the eye, she had just never had the privilege of seeing it for herself.

They had finished playing Clue rather quickly, but Monopoly lasted quite a bit longer. When it was finally clear that it was definitely time for Quinn to announce bankruptcy, they decided to call it a night. It was a school night after all, at least for Rachel, so it was time for her to go home.

"Thanks Rach, for coming over. I had a really good time tonight. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun, just playing board games and talking."

Rachel smiles and nods.

"I had a great time too." She states and she takes hold of the hand on Quinn's good arm with both her hands. "I'm really happy that I'm finally getting to know the real Quinn Fabray and I can't thank you enough for helping me with the whole Finn situation. It really helped having a friend around who I can trust to be honest with me."

"I'm glad you trusted me with it." Quinn tells her as she smiles reassuringly. "I'm sure everything will be fine, but I'm always here if you need me."

Rachel was positively gleaming. She has spent so much time on her own, not fitting in with the rest of them and being tortured because of it. But now she was holding hands with the girl that once upon a time had been the worst torturer of them all. Said girl was now the friend she never thought she'd have.

They gave each other one last hug, which still wasn't easy and Quinn was left standing at her doorstep waving Rachel off. As she watched her car pull out of the drive way, she finally realized how tired she was. She said goodbye to her mum, who was watching TV in the living room and went back to her room, pushed the games to the side while deciding she'd put them away the next day and got ready for bed. Thoroughly exhausted she fell asleep with nothing but happy thoughts about her evening with Rachel on her mind.

When the brunette came home, it was obvious to both her fathers that they finally had there cheery little girl back. The previous week had been hard on the girl, she had spent every available moment at the hospital and was beyond worried for her friend. Leroy and Hiram knew of their history, but they had always taught Rachel that everybody deserves a second chance and they trusted her judgment. The smile Rachel was carrying was absolutely radiant and no one in their right mind would want to take that away. She was tired and after kissing her fathers goodnight she too crawled into bed.

A few days later both girls had found their routines. Rachel would go to school, attend all her classes and take even more care of all the notes she made. She had arranged some of the other kids in Glee to take notes in the classes that Quinn and Rachel didn't share, luckily Tina and Mercedes didn't really mind. They were pretty good at taking notes too, not as clean and thorough as Rachel liked her own to be, but still quite comprehendible.

On the days Quinn didn't have physical therapy, she would drop by Quinn's after school to give her the notes and fill her in on the events of the day. Judy was always kind enough to ask her to stay for dinner, but she always declined saying that her dads were waiting for her at home. When Quinn did have physical therapy, she would pick her up at the doctors whenever Quinn texted her that she was finished. It usually took a lot out of her, so she was mostly quiet on their way back. Rachel didn't mind though, she was enjoying the silence. She was usually so eager to fill it, but when she was around Quinn, she didn't feel the need for it.

It wasn't until Friday, when they were driving home from the doctor's, that Quinn asked about the situation with Finn. Rachel hadn't said anything about it herself, there wasn't much to say really, she hadn't really talked to him since last weekend. Finn had asked her to come over on Saturday though, so they'd probably talk then.

"What are you gonna tell him?" She asks Rachel, after she fills her in on their plans for the next day.

"I'm not sure, I'm still looking for the right words. I know I overreacted and I'm gonna apologize for that, but before I do I want him to realize that he was just as much in the wrong. If he wants to become an actor, I don't wanna do anything to hold him back. But just because I have a fairly bright future ahead of me, does not mean that he gets to hold that against me whenever we have a conversation about his own goals. I've fought hard to get where I am today and I have no regrets or reservations in acknowledging the fact that I'm likely to succeed in becoming a Broadway star."

Since Rachel had her eyes firmly focused on the road, she didn't see the smirk on Quinn's face. The former cheerleader couldn't help but smile at the slightly arrogant side that showed when the diva talked about her abilities. But now that she was slightly less intimidated by it and more appreciative of it, she couldn't help but agree in the fact that she indeed had a promising future ahead of her and she damn well deserved it.

"I don't know," The brunette continued, her voice sounding a little less confident as she proceeded in putting her thoughts to words. "I'll probably just start off with telling him that I support him 100% and want nothing more than for him to reach his potential. I'll apologize for overreacting, earning his attention and then I can explain why I reacted the way I did. By the end of the night, we'll surely have kissed and made up."

Quinn was a bit disappointed by the ending of her rambling session. In no way was she planning on making it clear to Finn that he had been completely out of line. Instead she'd just apologize, say all the right things to ensure he was hearing her and then finally tell him what's really on her mind. Rachel deserved more than that. They had arrived at the Fabray residence where their time together would come to an end, but she was not getting out of the car before she convinced Rachel of what she knew to be true.

"Rachel, you always say that you trust me to be honest with you, right?" She turns to the brunette, who's clearly confused with the question, but she gives her a nod nonetheless. "Well, than I feel I need to be honest with you right now. I don't think you should be the one apologizing to him."

She sensed that she was gathering arguments to protest, but continued before the diva could open her mouth.

"The way you're going about this, will just make him think that he was right to act the way he did, when that's clearly not the case. I know Finn, I've been where you are and while he makes a big production of declaring he's a loving and supportive boyfriend, he still needs all the attention he can get. He's proven more than once what a douchebag he really is and this is just another one of his tantrums. I know I've said it before, but the fact that he thinks he can actually steal your thunder, is enough to prove what an insecure little boy he really is. He should be the one apologizing to you, not the other way around. He's the one that would hold you down and has failed in supporting you countless times. I just think that …"

"Enough." Rachel interrupts, clearly upset and unwilling to hear anymore. "I know you're just trying to help me in saying this, but I really don't wanna hear it. Finn's made mistakes, but so have I and I'm not gonna judge him for the things that happened in the past. If I did and did so for everyone that's ever wronged me, you and I would not be having this conversation."

Quinn was slightly taken aback by the direction their conversation had gone, but she couldn't deny the fact that, if it wasn't for Rachel's ability to be so forgiven, they really wouldn't be having this conversation. In fact, they probably would never talk at all.

"Look, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just saying that it wouldn't be a bad thing if you stood up for yourself a bit more. I know you're great at keeping your head up high and letting things role of off you, but maybe you should be a bit more assertive and say what you're feeling and thinking rather than what you feel you should be saying in order for things to not get out of hand."

Rachel remained quiet for a while, but to Quinn's relieve she didn't seem all that angry. She hadn't meant to attack Finn the way that she did, she had surprised herself in that. Clearly she still had some unresolved feelings towards that giant baby, but she shouldn't be taking it out on Rachel. She was just about to apologize for crossing the line herself, when Rachel said the one thing she hadn't expected her to say.

"You're right." She said, much to Quinn's disbelieve. She turned to face the brunette with was probably a shocked expression on her face. "Maybe I should be more honest with the way I feel about the way he handled things. I may have overreacted but he also hurt me by claiming that I wasn't supportive enough when that's far from the truth. Do you know he asked me to move to LA instead of New York next year?"

"He what?" Quinn asked, thoroughly shocked by the lack of brains that manchild seemed to possess.

"Yeah, Noah apparently wants to start a pool cleaning business there and he asked Finn to be his partner. I convinced him that it wasn't fair of him to ask me that since all my life I've known in my heart that I belong on stage in New York. We had a big argument about it too and it pains me to admit that I actually did consider giving up New York to go with him to LA."

Quinn gives her an understanding glance and puts her left hand on top of Rachel's. She knows what she want to say to Rachel's admission but decides against telling her how she's too good for him. Instead she defuses the situation by being more the supportive friend than the grudge holding ex. In the back of her mind, she knows that's not the only factor, but she can't quite face up to admitting that just yet.

"I'm sorry he did that to you, he shouldn't have put you in that position. But the fact that you were willing to that, proves to me that there isn't much you wouldn't do for him. I've never really understood the possibility of unconditional love, since I haven't had the privilege to come across it, but I really hope that he knows just how lucky he is to have you, as his fiancé."

Why is it that every conversation they had about Finn always seemed to call up such an emotional atmosphere? Neither girl realized the depth that having him as topic of conversation brought with it. Quinn was fighting against speaking her mind and making it clear that she in no way thought that he was right for her. She knew in her heart that Rachel deserved someone who saw Rachel for the amazing creature that she truly was. But the love that she saw reflected in Rachel's eyes, made her keep those thoughts to herself, after all, if he made her happy, who was she to deny her that? Rachel on the other hand was finding it harder not to see things through Quinn's eyes. Even though she'd been rather harsh in expressing the way she felt about him, part of it was a little too close to the truth than she wanted to admit. Unknowingly, she had started to put doubts in Rachel's mind but she kept them at bay because she was too scared to put them into words.

Rachel thanked Quinn for her support and willingness to endure her Finn-related rants. The blonde shrugged it off, saying that's what friends are for and gave Rachel a heartfelt hug. She made her promise to keep her posted on the situation with Finn and then fairly satisfied at accomplishing her promise to herself, exited the car. She waved Rachel of as she left the driveway and turned to enter her house. Her thoughts of the reasoning behind her attack on Finn still remained in the back of her mind, but she wasn't ready to analyze them further.

* * *

><p>So there you have it, another chapter of Touch of Your Hand. As you can tell, I'm moving rather slowly. A lot of stories start with Rachel and Finn breaking up which inevitably pushes her in Quinn's arms. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with that :p, I wanted to go at it a bit differently. I want them to establish a true friendship before things turn more romantically. Finn and Rachel will break up, but I wanted it to be a bit more real but also more gradual. Rachel sees all the good in Finn while Quinn sees all the bad and that combination starts to bring doubts in Rachel's mind. Quinn meanwhile doesn't quite realize it yet, but she is starting to fall for Rachel, bit by bit. I already know what will cause her to open her eyes, so if you're interested, stay tuned ;-). If anyone has any thoughts they'd like to share or suggestions on the way the story is going, be sure to let me know. I'm definitely curious to see what people think of the story and whether they like the pace I'm setting.<p>

I'm currently studying for exams, so I won't be able to write the next chapter before next Wednesday. I do hope to get the story going soon!

Thanks everybody for the alerts! I hope you liked it.

Until next time! Lucy


	6. Date Night

Chapter 6: Date Night

It was Friday 7.48 PM. Finn was supposed to pick her up at 8, they had reservations at 8.15. Rachel had never felt so nervous before a date before. The past week, she had spend too much time analyzing everything about their relationship. Quinn had definitely played a part in that. Even before they were even remotely friends, she'd always trusted her judgment. For some unknown reason, the former cheerleader could get through to her, unlike anyone else.

Their last conversation had ended half an hour ago. Quinn had called her to ask how she was feeling and if she knew what she was going to tell her fiancé. The diva was still pondering which words to use, not yet able to formulate the thoughts she needed spoken. She's often had to rethink her word choice when talking to Finn, but now it was more the content than the vocabulary she had difficulty with. Quinn had ended the conversation with something that she would be keeping in mind throughout the evening: "you're a strong, confident and ambitious young woman. If he can't handle standing by your side while you achieve the goals you've set for yourself long before he came along, than he's just not worthy of your time." Okay, maybe the last part is a bit much, but she still had a point.

All she wanted was for them to enjoy the rest of high school, before things got very busy en they'd have very little time for each other. But something had gone wrong in their communication; since he took it as her saying she wouldn't stand by him while he always stood by her. He thought she was being selfish and didn't want him to steal her thunder. Truth was that she had been selfish, selfish in wanting him by her side rather than taking acting classes from which he'd definitely benefit from.

The whole fight had left her feeling down, which left room for doubts to enter her thoughts. Doubts about their future together and their love standing strong despite marrying so young. She didn't let them in though, not yet. She had decided that after tonight, she'd really re-evaluate their relationship. If tonight left her feeling misunderstood and less connected to Finn than she had in the past, she might have to reconsider saying 'I do' when the time comes.

The doorbell ringing snapped her out of her thoughts. She heard her dad answering the door, which meant it was time for her to head on down. She took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath and said to herself: "I can do this!" before heading downstairs. Finn was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her in awe.

"Wow Rach." He says. "You look incredible!"

It was obvious how much he mean it, which made Rachel smile. Looking him over, she realized that he looked pretty nervous himself. Clearly he was just as worried about the strain on their relationship the past week. He took her hand as she stepped down the last step and give her a sweet peck on the lips. They waved her fathers goodbye and went outside towards Finn's car. He opened her door for her, causing the petite brunette to smile at the gesture. He wasn't usually this chivalrous, so it was clear he was making an effort tonight. A fact that pleased the girl a lot.

The ride to the restaurant was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Finn was focused on the road and Rachel couldn't help but smile at him. She almost forgot she was even mad at him, but a certain blonde ex-Cheerio's voice sounded in the back of her head. It was telling her to focus and to really stand up for herself. She faced the front of the car, took another deep breath and refocused on her thoughts. This was gonna be hard, she thought to herself.

When they arrived a few minutes later, Finn was quickly out the car and on her side so that he could open her door. This time though, she saw it less as a romantic gesture and more as his way of groveling. She couldn't help but wonder why he suddenly felt more like he had done something wrong, he must have talked to someone who made him see things her way.

Before she could think of who that could be, she was pulled out of her thoughts by the hostess greeting them at the entrance of the restaurant. It was their first time going to something fancier than Breadsticks. It still wasn't a four star restaurant, but it did exhume a bit more class. The hostess directed them to their table and told them a waiter would be with them shortly. Finn pulled out Rachel's chair, allowing her to sit first, before taking his seat across from her.

"So Rach, how have you been?" He asks, trying to start the evening with some light conversation. Rachel seemed to have a different plan.

"Okay I guess, school and my singing and dance classes have kept me occupied most of the time. The rest of my time I've mostly spend with Quinn. She really has shown to be a great listener and support the past few days, which definitely helped clarifying the conflicting emotions I've been dealing with. It's been a real joy having her as a friend."

Finn was a bit thrown by the elaborate response he got from his fiancé. He did understand that she didn't want to sugarcoat things and needed to speak her mind. He was compliant in doing the same.

"Listen Rach, I'm really sor…"

Before he could finish his sentence, a waiter appeared at their table whom offered them both a menu.

"Could I take you drink order or do you need some time deciding?" He asks politely, not realizing he was interrupting.

"I'll just have a coke, thanks." Finn answers, already caught up in picking out the meal he'd be ordering.

Rachel rolls her eyes at his eagerness for food and lack of chivalry that came with it. She smiles sweetly at the waiter, hoping he's not too put off by his attitude and orders a mineral water for herself. With the waiter gone, Rachel is hoping to continue their previous conversation. Finn however seemed to have forgotten he was about to apologize, leaving Rachel no choice but to urge him on if she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"You were saying?" She says, loud enough to get his intention and with a tone that made it quite clear that she wasn't too happy.

The clueless boy looks away from his menu and sees by the look on Rachel's face that he needs to put in an effort. He reaches for her hand and smiles his crooked smile, hoping it might soften her up a bit. His usual method doesn't seem to have much of an effect though, so he clears his throat, looks her in the eye and starts to speak.

"Rachel, I'm really sorry we fought. I totally overreacted and got way ahead of myself. It's not even a sure thing that I'd be able to finish school earlier and start those classes. I just got so excited when I figured out what I wanted to do. I wanted you to share in my excitement, but when you didn't seem as happy as I thought you'd be, I kinda freaked out. I shouldn't have acted the way I did and I'm really really sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

Rachel could tell he was being sincere and was so close to just accepting his apology and spending a nice romantic evening together. But she had promised Quinn she'd voice her thoughts, so she gathered her courage and said all the things she felt she needed to say in order for her to remain confident about the future of their relationship.

"I accept your apology Finn, but all is not yet forgiven." The look in Finn's eyes showed that he hadn't expected the last part of that sentence. Usually a sincere apology was enough to get back in her good graces, but something had changed which meant that he wasn't off the hook yet.

"I was really hurt and disappointed with how we left things Sunday. You went straight to accusing me of being selfish and unsupportive of you and your dreams, when that has never been the case. The only reason why I was a bit reluctant in standing by your plans, was because of the effect I felt it could have on our relationship. We only have a few months left of high school with some important milestones to face and you leaving school would mean not having you by my side when I face them. The past few years have had quite a bit of drama and now that we're finally in a good place, I really wanna make the most of it, as a couple." She explained, have trouble not letting her emotions take over while laying her heart bear.

It was silent for a while as Finn processed her words. She saw a look of understanding on his face and really hoped Finn actually understood what she'd been saying. A soft smile appeared on her lips, as she thought about Quinn and how proud she'd be of her.

"So that's why you were upset?" Finn asked, finally breaking the silence after analyzing her words. "Because you want me by your side for the rest of school, so we'd have those memories together? Why didn't you just say so?"

"I tried to," Rachel answers, still slightly frustrated. "You didn't listen. You were so convinced that I thought you were trying to steal my thunder when all I wanted was for us to spend the last big moments at McKinley together before we inevitable move on to bigger and busier things." She sounded a bit more fired up as she spoke, hurt still cursing through her because of the lack of understanding her husband-to-be had shown.

Said future husband opened his mouth to speak, when their waiter appeared beside them again, this time delivering their drinks.

"Have you decided on your meals yet?" He asks, holding out his notepad, ready to take the orders down.

"I'll have the steak with fries, please. And hold the tomatoes." Finn answers, holding out his menu for the waiter to take since he wouldn't be needing it anymore. As usual, he was less than aware that Rachel hadn't even looked over the menu yet. Luckily, as a vegan, the choices she had were usually rather limited. She decided to play it safe and just order the same thing she had when she was here with her dads a while back, knowing it would fit her diet.

"I'll have the vegetarian salad, please." She says, smiling her bright smile without it reaching her eyes. She too hands over the menu to the waiter, who finished writing and nodded to them before heading down to the kitchen to pass on their order.

Not wanting the interruption to take them off track, Rachel soon picks up where they had left off.

"I admit I overreacted a bit myself, but I really don't appreciate you saying I'm not supportive enough, cause that's far from the truth. Apart from a few incidents that I still regret to this day, I'm actually someone who is extremely helpful and supportive to everyone I consider a friend, even when they don't consider me as theirs." Her words and the tone of her voice made it quite clear that she still wasn't willing to move past their argument.

"You're right, you're absolutely right." Finn says, trying to make it clear that he was also disappointed in himself. He looks her straight in the eye and tries to recall what Burt had told him before he went to pick up Rachel. He told him that the best way to get back on a girl's good side was to admit you were wrong and she was right, even when you don't agree or don't know why.

"I was wrong in assuming that, you've always been supportive and have given me advice on how to achieve my goals. Even when I was still with Quinn and it hurt you to see me with her, you still helped when I needed you to." Finn takes hold of both her hands, a sentiment that he sees as a lovely gesture but came across to Rachel a bit as him trying to control her. His hands are a lot bigger than hers, something she previously never saw as a bad thing. She couldn't help but think to herself that because of their fight, she was starting to see him differently. She still loved him, that wouldn't change overnight, but certain things that she had always saw as being cute or chivalrous, now seemed like something else.

"I promise you," He continued, recapturing the confused brunette's attention. "even if I'm able to go through with my plans, I'll still have plenty of time for you. I'll be there for you, whenever you need me, I'll make sure of that." Again he put his crooked smile at work, this time achieving more the response he'd hoped for. Sensing that they were almost back on track, he asked her what he'd been longing for since the accident.

"I know we have some things to sort out still, but I really want us to go back to how we were before the whole wedding fiasco. I've missed you so much, holding you at night and waking up next to you. Can I please come home with you tonight?"

Rachel wasn't that surprised with his request, she'd been meaning to suggest the same last week before their fight happened. While Quinn was in the hospital, Rachel had spend every free moment by her side. They had agreed to pick up on their plan to live together at Rachel's after Quinn was released. Since that day was the same as their fight, they actually hadn't shared the same bed since before their almost wedding. Finn had stayed at home the past week, allowing them both the space they needed to figure things out before their reconciliation date. Now that they had reconciled, there was no more reason for them to be apart.

"Yes Finn, you can come home with me tonight." She answers, smiling a soft smile that increases when she sees the love and happiness reflected in her fiancés eyes at her response. She had missed him as well and had felt lonely, having to wake up with no one beside her.

After their food arrived, they continued with a much more comfortable conversation. They first agreed on always being honest and upfront with each other and to always listen to what the other had to say, ensuring that similar arguments would be avoided in the future. Time went by faster as they talked about their teachers and their knowing ways. They shared a few stories of things that had happened in the past week that they hadn't have been able to tell each other. Glee came up as well, naturally, and they laughed as they thought back to some of the silly ideas that Mr. Schuester had brought to the club that they had actually benefitted from. One of the things they were working on at the moment, was Quinn's welcome back performance. Despite both having a rocky past with the blonde, there were no more grudges being held so they happily conversed about the person that had had a great influence on both their lives in the past, and might have an even greater influence on their future.

"So how is Quinn? Is she almost ready to come back?"

"She's doing good actually." Rachel answers happily, always seeming to lighten up at the mention of her new found friend. "Her physical therapy seems to really be helping. She has to stay home for at least another week, but after that she's allowed trying to come back. I'm really looking forward to our welcome back performance, I'm convinced she's gonna love it. We'll have to work on perfecting it next week, because she deserves the best we can give her."

"Do you think she'll be able to perform with us at Nationals?" Finn asked, honestly wondering whether she'll be ready by then.

"It's hard to say, a lot will depend on the next few weeks and whether her healing continues as it should. But normally, counting the facts that she's had an extensive cheerleader training and is very persistent when it comes to getting her body back in shape, she will be on that stage with us two months from now when we finally win the national title."

Finn grins at her for her last statement, knowing how much she wants it, how much they all want it and hoping with every fiber in his body that they'll get what they deserve.

"You know, Quinn's really lucky to have you looking out for her. You've been an incredible friend. That's one of the reasons that I love you so much, you and Quinn have definitely had your share of drama, yet here you are doing everything in your power to get her back to full strength. I honestly never thought you'd become such good friends."

"I think neither of us did." Rachel answers truthfully, having had the same thoughts before. "But the main reason for us not getting along was … well you." They both smirk at that. "And since there's no longer need for a fight, we've decided to leave the past in the past. We've actually got quite a few things in common that don't bring out our competitive sides quite as much. I feel like I've actually for the first time in my life have a best friend that I'm not dating or related to."

As they finish their meals, they talk some more about their friends and family. They agree they should organize a family dinner with the Berry and the Hudson-Hummel family. That way they can discuss their plans for the wedding. Before their fight had turned things around last Sunday, they had agreed to marry after Nationals, like they had first decided on. They hadn't officially announced it to their family and friends yet, so that's what the dinner would be about. For their friends, they were planning to throw a little party. Rachel had it in her mind to combine it with Finn's birthday party, since it was 10 days from now. That way they had everyone they needed there and could announce it as a bit of surprise. They had all stood by them before, so it was unlikely that they wouldn't this time.

After they paid for dinner, they went for a short walk through the empty streets of Lima. Both teenagers were happy and satisfied with the evening's events. Rachel had been able to speak her mind and felt like Finn understood what she was feeling. Even though she wasn't completely at ease about the strength of their relationship as she had been the day they had planned to exchange I Do's, she was convinced that a few more nights like tonight would help them get back to that. Finn meanwhile was just happy to be holding Rachel again. The time apart the past two weeks had made him long for Rachel more than he had before. If things had gone differently, he'd be able to call her his wife by now. That thought was something that made him extremely happy and he looked forward even more to the day just 10 weeks from now.

After their walk, they headed back to the Berry residence. Rachel had informed her fathers of their reconciliation by text, so they weren't surprised when their future son in law accompanied her to their room. After finishing her nightly routine, she sent a quick text to Quinn to inform her of the nights events.

**Hi Quinn. Just wanted to let you know that I did everything that you said. I told him everything that I was feeling and we had a really good talk. Thanks for being my rock the past week, I couldn't have done it without you! Sweet dreams :). Rachel**

Within the minute, her screen lit up with an answer.

**I'm proud of you! Just know that I'll always be there for you, no matter what! I'm glad you guys worked it out :). Have a good night. Q**

Rachel smiled, feeling lucky to have her relationship back on track and an incredible friend like Quinn on her side. The few doubts she had, didn't seem so important anymore as she snuggled up closer to her guy and finally let sleep take over.

A few days later, things had gone somewhat back to normal. Finn and Rachel were back to being the power couple in Glee. They were back to holding hands while walking together and making out for everyone to see, frustrating their fellow students to no end.

Quinn in the meantime was aching to go back to school. She loved her mum and was happy for them to be getting along like they had, but having her fussing over her none stop was getting to be too much. She needed to exercise. She loved getting up in the morning, putting on her running shoes and clearing her head in her morning jog. But the doctor hadn't given her the okay yet which meant that her mother won't allow her that run. Luckily, she felt some satisfaction from the exercises she did at physical therapy.

On Wednesday evening, she was at her doctor's, waiting for Rachel to pick her up. Her mum had a late shift so she couldn't come and get her. Rachel had a dance class that ended around the time her therapy should come to an end. But since the studio was a fifteen minute drive from the doctor's office, she had suggested to walk instead since it only took her about fifteen minutes to get home by foot. But neither Rachel or her mum would have that. Neither wanted her to be walking home after an intense training while night was falling. So after her session, she placed herself in the waiting room and opened the book she was reading. If there was one thing that seemed to make time move faster, it was getting rapped up into one of the many fantasy stories she loved so much.

Being so consumed by the words in front of her, she barely noticed someone moving in the seat next to her. When she felt a chill come over her body, she grabbed the jacket that was laying on the chair to her right. She tried to put it on, but found her muscles protesting when putting her right arm inside the sleeve. It wasn't 'till she heard the girl on her left sight speak, that she realized she wasn't by herself.

"Here let me help." She said, smiling sweetly at Quinn. She held the jacket open, allowing Quinn to put her arm through the sleeve without it hurting.

"Thanks!" She tells the girl by her side, immediately feeling the effects the extra layer had on her body.

"No problem, us slightly invalids should help each other out." She responds with a wink. "I'm Lucy by the way. You're in for your arm I guess? What happened?" She sticks out her hand, making sure Quinn is able to grab it with her left arm since her right obviously causes some trouble. Q politely takes a hold of it and introduces herself in return.

"I'm Quinn." She says smiling. "I got in a pretty bad car crash two weeks ago. I bruised a couple of my ribs and broke my arm, hence the struggle with my jacket. What about you?"

"My knees. There was a slight tear in my meniscus causing me quite a bit of pain. They did some work on it with a keyhole surgery and now I need to built up the muscles around it so my knee becomes stronger again." Lucy explains.

"Sounds painful."

"It comes and goes, I'm pretty much used to it by now. Nothing like a car crash though, sounds like you're lucky to not be more badly injured. How did it happen?"

"Texting while driving." Quinn answers honestly, mentally berating herself again for her utter stupidity in risking her life for something so futile.

Lucy glares at her in surprise.

"That must have been some text." She answers, still smiling to try and lighten the mood.

Quinn can't help but laugh at her statement. You have no idea, she thinks to herself. Realizing that she now has to explain her reaction, she starts explaining the situation she was in.

"Actually, I was on my way to a wedding. I decided last minute to attend and was letting the bride know I was on my way after all. Just before I was able to hit send, a truck ran into me at an intersection. It was a pretty intense day."

"It sure sounds like it." Lucy says, getting more and more intrigued by her story. "How come you decided to attend last minute? She marrying your ex or something?"

Just as she's about to answer, a cute brunette with wavy brown hair walks into the waiting room.

"Hey Luce, sorry to have kept you waiting." The girl says, kissing her on the cheek.

"No problem sweetie." She answers with a smile. Her eyes seem to sparkle as she looks over to her friend. "I had Quinn here to keep me company." She sends a wink to the blonde at her side as she grabs her stuff and takes hold of the other girl's hand.

"Do you happen to have the same appointment next week? I'd love to hear the rest of your story!"

Quinn laughs. "Actually I do."

"Great, I look forward to it."

Just as she reaches the door, she turns around and looks at Quinn.

"One question though, did they go through with the wedding?"

"Actually no." She answers, feeling quite captured by the girls bluntness. "The bride went looking for me instead and when she found out I had an accident, they postponed the wedding. They haven't actually decided on a new date yet I think, but it'll probably be in a couple of weeks."

Lucy usually was a pretty good judge of character. She sensed by the blonde's words that she wasn't particularly happy about the wedding. She wanted to ask for more, but when a tiny brunette with legs straight out of heaven walked in and smiled at Quinn, she realized she'd have to wait to find out more.

"See you next week Quinn, I'm looking forward to it." She tells her before walking out the room with her girlfriend at her side.

Rachel looks confused at the two girls who just left. Quinn seemed a bit lost in thought. A strange emotion took hold of the tiny brunette. It resembled closely to that of jealousy. She didn't really know why she'd be feeling jealous though, so she figured it could just be the apple she ate earlier.

"Quinn?" The singer asked, trying to pull the blonde out of whatever was going through her head. "You ready to head home?"

Having heard the voice that she knew would always pull her heartstrings, she looked up as her eyes locked with Rachel's big brown ones. She smiles sweetly up at her, seemingly in trance.

"Hey." The ex-Cheerio said, unaware of any previous words having been spoken.

The brunette chuckled at the haziness Quinn was in. She couldn't help but think how utterly adorable she was being.

"I hope you didn't have to wait too long."

"Not at all." Quinn answers, seeming to finally be rid of the fog that was clouding her brain. She gets up from her chair and walks over to Rachel. She lifts her good arm, offering it to her friend. A bit confused by the gesture at first, the singer waits a few minutes before shrugging and linking her arm with Quinn's.

Together they walk towards the car, both consumed in thought. Quinn was going over her conversation with the girl in the waiting room. She felt rather relieved at not having to continue the story just yet. For a multitude of reasons, recalling that day was rather difficult for her. But at the same time, she was looking forward to talking to the girl again next week. There was something about her eagerness to figure Quinn out that made her easily open up to the girl.

Rachel at the same time couldn't help remembering the look she saw on Quinn's face when she had entered the waiting room. The conversation she had had with the girl that left when she walked in, seemed to have had quite a lingering effect on her friend. Again that seemingly jealous feeling emerged in the pit of her stomach. But being the rational person that she is, she convinces herself that it was indeed the apple she had before her dance class and because of the exercise it probably just didn't digest properly.

When they arrived at the car, they let go of each other's arms and moved to their seats. Rachel gently pulled out of the parking space and headed over to Quinn's. Since it was a school night and already quite late, they didn't linger for too long when they got to her house. They simple agreed on the time Rachel would come over the next day to review her homework and exchanged good nights.

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><p>Hi everyone :). I know it's been a while, way too long if you ask me! For most people summer is the time when they have the most time to write, that doesn't seem to be the case for me :p. Anyways I hope you like the update! It's a bit longer than usual, so I hope that slightly makes up for being absent for so long.<p>

I'm really curious what you all think and whether you want to see this story continue. I have quite a few ideas that I want to put in writing, so there will be more to come. I didn't really enjoy writing the first part of this chapter, since I'm not a big Finchel fan, but it had to be done in order to move on to better things ;).

Just out of curiosity, I was wondering whether most of you actually want Rachel to marry Finn or for her to come to her senses before then :p. Let me know via PM or through a review and I'll see what I'll let happen ;-). But don't worry, Faberry will ALWAYS be end game :D.

Until next time!

Lucy


	7. Movie Night (Part 1)

Hi everyone!

I know it's been a while, I wish it hadn't have been so long honestly but school and other things got in the way. Kind of lost my way … I'm back now though so with any luck I'll be getting this story up and running in no time. Unlike my other fic, there's still plenty of inspiration here. In fact I've already got the next chapter partly written and a future one as well :p. I hope you enjoy this one, I'm sure certain situations have been explored many times before, but I'm hoping I've managed to create my own spin on it. I personally really hate spoilers, so in case you've never seen City of Angels, I'm really sorry but there are a few spoilers in here. It just seemed kinda perfect for what I wanted to happen. Regardless, that's truly one of the most romantic movies ever so you should definitely see it, if you're not afraid to break down and cry that is. Any input from readers is always welcome. Thanks for sticking around! Enjoy! This chapter is in the same week the last one ended.

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><p>Previously on Touch of Your Hand<p>

Quinn and Rachel have been growing closer as actual friends since Quinn woke up with Rachel by her side after her accident. Both had some bad dreams about the other though, but neither have had the courage to mention this so far. They were starting to let their guards down around each other which resulted in them getting to know each other for real and seeing the potential of a true friendship in close range. Rachel had gotten in a fight with Finn over his future plans and his lack in believing that she'd stand by him. With Quinn's guidance she had been able to say what was really on her mind and they were starting to get back to what they were before the accident, at least on the surface. Quinn had met someone at therapy that got her talking about the situation in which her accident happened. She hadn't been able to finish her story, but they had agreed to continue the next time they were at physical therapy together. Rachel had found Quinn deep in thought after talking to the girl and was conflicted between defining her feelings as jealousy or just a bad apple, in the end she had opted for the latter.

Chapter 7 – Sleepover (Part 1)

It was the Friday of Quinn's final week away from school. Santana and Brittany were at her house because they wanted to make a suggestion. Seeing as it was Quinn's last school day off, they thought they could do with a sleepover as a celebration, like the good old times. Quinn was more than happy to accept, but found the need to suggest Rachel be invited as well. The two didn't put up much of a fight, realizing they had gotten closer the past few weeks. Even Santana was starting to see more and more good in the girl, since she, above everyone else, had risen to the occasion and had stood by their best friend in her time of need. She wasn't completely sold on the idea though, since the three of them, mostly her and Quinn though, were responsible for torturing the girl for as long as they could remember. Santana shared these thoughts with Quinn and easily found reason to give it a try.

"I've gotten to know Rachel better and I have a pretty good idea of how she deals with people that want her forgiveness. She believes in second chances and I think we should consider tonight as our way of making amends. Maybe if we stop acting like we're better than her, include her and be honest with her, she'll all be able to look past the stupid things we did to her to be popular. We'd be able to earn her forgiveness and start forming a friendship that's actually worth something." Both other parties of the Unholy Trinity were looking at her in thought. "Look, the one thing I've learned from having Rachel at my side while I was recovering, is that as far as friends go, she's worth making an effort for."

"Is that why we did it?" Brittany suddenly asks. "To be popular?"

None of them seem to be able to find an answer to that question. A few minutes pass when suddenly the bell rings, bringing them all out of their thoughts.

"Speak of the devil." Quinn thinks to herself and can't help but smile, since she's quite sure she'll be finding an eager, sometimes annoying but deeply caring diva on her doorstep.

"Hello Quinn." She says as soon as the door is opened. "I brought you your last bit of homework, feels like we should celebrate or something." She says while entering the house that had become quite familiar by now. Just as she's walking down the hall, a voice from another room speaks up.

"Funny you should mention that."

The diva startles a bit at hearing Santana's voice, but doesn't let it show.

"Santana, Brittany, I didn't realize you were here." She greats them politely, but finds herself a bit wary nonetheless. There was a reason she only visited Quinn when she was sure there was cheerleading practice at the same time to prevent this type of confrontation. Now she was standing in Quinn's living room, surrounded by 3 of the most powerful students at McKinley that over the years had shown a particular interest in her, expressed by showering her with slushies and patting her hard in the shoulder so she would fall against the lockers and drop whatever she was holding in her hands.

"Hi Berry, nice to see you too." Santana answers with a smirk when she notices the nervousness about the girl.

Quinn, set on saving the possible damage Santana was doing just by being herself, quickly explained the Latina's words.

"We were just thinking about having a sleepover today, as a way of celebrating my coming back to school next week and we'd really like it if you joined us."

Rachel stood stock still for a minute, processing Quinn's words.

"You want me to come to your sleepover? What exactly would that entail?" She asks, a bit unsure of herself. She couldn't really imagine what a having sleepover meant, organized by these three girls. She didn't have a lot of experience with any kind of sleepover to begin with.

"Well, since I'm still on medication, there won't be any alcohol. But there will probably be a movie or two, maybe a pillow fight and definitely some make out sessions, but we'd never force you to participate." Quinn didn't know what made her say those things, she was just making fun, but as soon as she realized what words had come out of her mouth and the look on Rachel's face, she felt like an idiot.

"Uh …" She says, as her face is turning red. Having two gay dads assures for a certain open-mindedness, but the implications and tone of voice Quinn had just thrown her way, caught her way off guard.

"I'm kidding Rachel, don't worry, I promise it'll be fun." Quinn quickly states, trying to rectify her own words this time." We'll watch a few movies, have some fun in between, maybe some heartfelt conversation when the mood is right but all in all it'll just be a bunch of teenage girls hanging out."

Santana, who was slightly curious about the reactions in both girls, just smirked. "There might still be some making out though, but like Q said, you won't be forced to participate." She adds, throwing a wink at both her girlfriend and the girl she was going to try to be a friend with. She figured, if they were going to be friends, she should treat her like she does all her friends. This could be fun.

Trying to not look too embarrassed at the implications both girls had made, she thought about how much she had yearned for being invited to a sleepover with the popular girls so many times over the last few years. Had this happened a year ago, she wouldn't have trusted their motives and thought they'd only extend such an invitation to create a situation in which they could ridicule her. Now here she was, starting a genuine friendship with one of them and being somewhat friendly with the two other girls that were deemed the rulers of their school on many occasions. She saw the sincerity in Quinn's eyes and felt a surge of happiness for getting something that she had wanted for so long: to fit in. Since her silence was getting a bit lengthy, which showed by the wondering gazes around her, she put her thoughts into words.

"I would happily attend your sleepover, Quinn."

"Great!" She eagerly responds. "We usually meet up around 7, but since you're all here already, why don't you all stay for dinner?"

Brittany nods with much enthusiasm while Santana merely shrugs. The blonde turns towards the smaller of the group with somewhat of a sparkle in her eye. Rachel can't seemed to find a reason to say no, especially when the ex-Cheerio is looking at her like that.

"I'd really like that." She tells her, sincerity clear in her voice but some nervousness still remains. The two share a smile, both having grown quite comfortable in each other's presence, but wary of what the night could bring.

The girls quickly decide on pizza, since there's definitely a vegan option and there's a good place they all like nearby. They ask for it to be delivered in an hour, since the girls have to drive home to get there overnight bags first.

As Quinn watches the girls take off, she finds herself thinking about how surreal the situation seems. Not too long ago, the idea of Rachel Berry staying the night at her house had seemed rather impossible. Especially when her dad still lived there, the mere thought of it would've been a sin. Her mum never expressed much of an opinion about the Berry family, she had just nodded along with her husband. After Russell left, the relationship between Quinn and her mother had needed a lot of rebuilding. Whenever they did talk, Quinn avoided subjects like Glee club since she wasn't sure what her mother would say.

When Rachel had stepped up and stayed by Quinn's side, Judy realized how wrong her husband had been about the family the girl had grown up in. It was easy to see how caring and dedicated the young diva was, someone you'd be lucky to have as a friend. Judy and Rachel hadn't talked much, but they got to know each other a little by watching each other's interactions with the unconscious blonde. They had kept each other strong without realizing it. Judy had said bits and pieces to Quinn about how she had gotten through those five days. It was clear that her mother wasn't eager to talk about it, since it had been a very sad time for her. What Quinn had come to understand, was that Rachel had been incredible. Judy had even said that without Rachel, she would've struggled a lot harder and that thanks to Rachel, she never lost hope.

She could remember waking up that day and feeling her very not-manly hands holding onto hers. Just the light weight of it had kept her from freaking out for waking up in a strange white room with machines beeping around her. They hadn't talked about it much either, about the time she had been unconscious or the events right before it. Seeing the girl struggle to keep her emotions in check and form the right words had been quite puzzling to say the least. They had a silent agreement not to talk about it, since neither wanted to relive those moments. Ever since her talk with that girl Lucy at the PT however (she found her name to be rather ironic), she had been feeling more inclined to start a conversation about it with Rachel. If she could talk about it so easily with a random stranger, she should be able to talk about it with someone who's turning out to be a really close friend. Their friendship was based on honesty and commitment to one another, so it seemed right to want to talk to her about it. Maybe tonight, she would be able to mention it or at least figure out whether Rachel was open to it. She wondered though, if she should tell her what the actual motivation was for getting in that car at the first place.

When she left her thoughts for a second, she glanced at the clock and realized that the girls would be back within 10 minutes. She send a text to her mum, to let her know she'd have guests over. She knew her mother wouldn't have a problem with it, since Santana and Brittany used to stay over all the time. She quickly ran upstairs to gather some blankets, found some sleepwear she'd feel comfortable in and checked the closet for some snacks. She soon came to the conclusion that there weren't many snacks in the house. She send out a text to Santana, asking her to drop by the store for something to eat during the movies. After thinking it through, she send another one, adding that she should look for something vegan as well. To her surprise, the text she got back said that it was already taken care off. Smiling to herself, she made a personal note not to underestimate how thoughtful Santana could often be. After that she barely had time to put some drinks in the fridge before the bell when off again.

"Hello again." Rachel said happily when Quinn opened the door. "I wasn't sure what to expected or what would be expected of me, so I brought a few movies and board games with me, just in case. I promise I'm not in any way suggesting that you don't have adequate taste in movies, I just figured I'd bring them along, just in case."

Quinn had a feeling Rachel was slightly nervous as she was rambling on about movies. She promised herself she'd make sure Rachel was spared from any (further) embarrassment, since she knew how Santana could get. She just smiled gently and urged her inside the house.

"I'm glad you did. I don't own that many movies, mostly horrors and a few comedies. Brittany tends to bring along Disney movies so whatever you have with you, will be a nice change."

"What does Santana usually bring?" Rachel asks curiously, finding herself relax slightly from the soft tone in Quinn's voice.

"Don't tell her I told you this," She starts conspiratorially, "But she usually brings either dramatic or romantic movies that almost always bring her to tears."

Rachel chuckles at that and finds a strange feeling of pride inside her for sharing a secret with Quinn Fabray about Santana Lopez. This will fun!

They don't have too long before the other girls arrive as well. Santana brought some of Quinn's favorite snacks (bacon flavored chips), some vegan snacks that actually seem quite tasteful and plenty of popcorn and potato chips to occupy themselves with. They put all the snacks aside, since they didn't want to ruin their appetite before the pizza arrived and started discussing which movie to go with.

"I brought Funny Girl and Moulin Rouge, some others too but these are definitely my favorite."

"Uh, no Berry! I understand you want to live up to your own cliché, but there will be no musicals tonight. Sleepovers are supposed to be about having fun and laying back, which will be somewhat impossible when we have you quoting all the words and singing along with all the lyrics if we choose one of your films. I suggest The Ring, nothing like a bit of horror to get the night started and the perfect way to get a bit of cuddling going." Santana states.

"I resent that! While it is true that I know all the words, I promise I'm more than capable of refraining myself from singing along when in company. As for your suggestion, I'm rather against it. I watched it a few years ago and haven't been able to not be somewhat afraid of horses ever since. I'd really prefer something a bit sweeter." Rachel bites back, trying not too seem as intimidated as she really is.

Santana rolls her eyes and scuffs. Just as she's about to say something more, Brittany, always the observant one, speaks up so as to try to find a compromise, or her idea of one anyway.

"What about the Little Mermaid? There's also singing in that movie and it always makes me happy. Plus Ariel is super cute."

The other three girls look over to Brittany with smiles on their faces. Sometimes Brittany was just too adorable. Quinn walks over to their collection of DVDs and after running through the various covers, she turns around.

"I'm afraid the Little Mermaid isn't here Brit. We'll watch it next time, okay?" After receiving a nod from Brittany she turns back around. "The Ring probably isn't the best idea, since it does get pretty scary.

"Well, what do you suggest Quinn? The night is in your honor anyway." Rachel smiles sweetly at Quinn, hoping that she'll see things more her way.

"Okay," She says, after returning a similar smile. "How about Cabin in the Woods? I haven't seen it yet, but it's written by Joss Whedon which means while it will have some scary moments, there's probably some humor in it too." She suggest, trying to make a case for the movie she's wanted to watch for a while now, but hadn't gotten around to. She does sincerely hope there aren't any car crashes though, 'cause she's not sure she can handle those yet. "No singing though." She adds as an afterthought.

"Fine by me." Santana says. "I'll deny ever saying this, but Q actually has pretty good taste in movies. Especially horror." She continues in a rare moment of appreciation.

Neither Brittany or Rachel find a reason to argue with that, so Quinn puts the DVD in the DVD-player. When a few minutes later the pizza arrive, they are able to start their movie night. Since Santana and Brittany are already cuddling in the large sofa, that leaves the smaller sofa for Rachel en Quinn.

During the movie, Rachel en Quinn had moved closer to each other. A few of the scary moments made Rachel jump up and unconsciously move closer to the blonde. She didn't mind though, it felt rather good to have a warm body leaning against you. When a particularly anxious scene had the brunette grabbing her hand, she couldn't help but think back again to when she had woken up in the hospital with Rachel by her side. Though it's far from the same, it felt nice to give her the kind of comfort she had given her back then. A shriek from Rachel shifted her attention back to the movie and they ended up holding hands during the rest of the movie.

As the movie comes to an end, all the girls move around a bit to stretch their muscles. It didn't really come naturally to any of them to sit still so long and watch a movie, unlike so many kids their age. After a brief discussion about some of the weird things about the movie, there's a general consensus that it was pretty good and they decide they should pick the next film. None of them want another discussion like before though, so Rachel excuses herself and says they can pick whatever they want as long as it's not horror again. She explains herself by saying that she can't handle more than one of said genre in one night without gaining the incapacity to fall asleep. She assumed no one would want that, since she would usually talk about whatever comes to mind to distract herself from the leftover thoughts on the movie. The three girls agreed easily since none of them wanted to be kept up all night with the diva's incessant talking.

"How about City of Angels?" Quinn asks. "I've never seen it, which Rachel claims is really unfortunate since it's one of the most romantic films there is. It'll probably be good for her after she agreed on watching the horror movie before."

"I like angels, they're pretty." Is all Brittany has to offer.

"Sure," Says Santana. "Beats having to watch one of her musicals. And if it prevents having to hear her whine all night, I'm all for it."

Happy to come to an agreement so easily, Quinn changes the DVDs and does the proper set up. She also refills their drinks and snacks so that they're ready for another two hours of just watching TV. When the diva returns she confirms what they thought so they settle in their previous positions for the next film.

Rachel was rather happy that they decided to go with one of the DVDs she brought, especially this one. Sure it wasn't a musical like she had hoped, but City of Angels was definitely a beautiful movie. It was nearly impossible to get through it with dry eyes, which Santana was now demonstrating, but it captured true love and devotion beautifully. The ending was heartbreaking though and it always affected her deeply.

As the big moment approaches, Rachel suddenly realizes that maybe this wasn't the best choice after all. She knew they were gonna get emotional, but she had forgotten about the car crash that would change everything and end the happiness. She glances over to Brit and Santana but they're too engrossed in the movie to notice. It was possible that they didn't know the ending and therefor the emotions that it might bring up in Quinn. Since Meg Ryan was already cycling down the hill, there wasn't much she could do about it now. She watches the blonde closely, hoping she would get through the scene without breaking down. As the truck comes into view, a gasp escapes her lips and this time her hand clenches onto Rachel's. She can see her swallowing and holding back tears.

Luckily there isn't actually a car crash in the scene, because that would've definitely caused a shock. Then again it's not just about the car crash, it's about the consequences too. Maggie and Seth lose so much because of it. If Quinn hadn't come through the accident the way she did, there would've been so much she would've missed out on. That thought has Rachel's eyes fill with tears again, because the thought of not having Quinn in her life anymore, seems way too terrifying.

Five minutes later, the credits come rolling and there's absolute silence besides the song coming from the speakers. Santana and Brittany are huddled close, clearly touched by what came to pass in the final ten minutes. Quinn udders a soft 'excuse me' and heads of towards the stairs, leaving a confused couple and a worried Rachel behind. The small brunette is unsure of what she should do. Quinn left because she's obviously upset and needed some space, but maybe it would be good if she could take to someone right now. They had never been able to open a conversation about her accident before and she knew well enough that keeping it all inside was not a good idea.

"I'll be right back." She tells two girls that still don't quite know what's going on and heads upstairs towards Quinn's room.

"Quinn?" Rachel asks, standing at her bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

After hearing a mumbled yes, she softly opens the door. Quinn is sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed. Rachel moves to her side and sits down on the floor.

"Are you okay?"

When she doesn't get an answer, she reaches over to Quinn's left hand. At the feeling the blonde turns her head and they lock eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks, treading carefully, not knowing what the reaction would be.

"Do you?" She suddenly asks, doubt evident in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asks again, unsure why the question would be redirected at her.

"Because … " Quinn starts. She turns her body towards Rachel, holds her hands a bit tighter and looks her in the eyes. "Because besides the day I woke up, you've never talked about it. I assumed that you thought it was too hard, reliving those memories. I wasn't sure you wanted to talk about it."

"Quinn I, … I didn't talk to you about it, because I didn't think you wanted me to. I can be kind of overwhelming at times and I didn't want to push you. I'm always here when you want to talk, you know that right?"

"Of course I know that." She answers, wearing a small smile as she does so. "But at the hospital, I could tell how much it hurt you to talk about it. The way you described finding me, it … scared me to see you so upset."

"I won't deny that that experience will be with me for the rest of my life, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to talk to you about it. I just didn't want to upset you, so I left it up to you to open up about it when you felt the need to."

The former cheerleader sighs softly and turns fully to face Rachel. They both understood what the other was thinking and right now was the moment they both needed to clear the air.

"I don't remember much about the accident itself, just a lot of noise and then everything turned black. There was no light or angels or something like that, just … darkness. The next thing that happened was me waking up with your hand in mine. I remember hearing your voice and knowing that it was familiar. The touch of your hand made me feel like there was something I could hold on to and there was finally light again. It's not all that clear to me, those first few moments after I woke up, I just remember having you there comforting me and taking care of me."

Rachel smiles softly, trying to keep her tears at bay and intent on hearing everything the emotional girl had to say.

"I was so happy to have you there with me, but it was really hard at the same time. I knew that before the crash, I was headed your way for your wedding …"

At the mention of the reason she was driving her car, Rachel couldn't help but speak up, tears falling from her eyes.

"I know Quinn and I still feel awful about it. If it hadn't been for me, none of this would've happened. I was being selfish as usual to need you there and to tell you to hurry, I'm so sor…"

"Rach, there's something you don't know about why I was headed towards your wedding that day."

Hearing this silenced the upset diva and caused her to look curiously at the blonde beside her.

"I wasn't coming to your wedding so I could attend it and be there for you, I was going there to stop it."

"Ooh …" Was all Rachel could say, as she wondered what she meant by that.

"I know I told you before that I thought you were doing the wrong thing and you shot me down, but I wanted another chance to convince you not to go through with it."

"Why do you feel so strongly about this? Is this about Finn, do you still have feelings for him?" Rachel asks, though not in an unfriendly tone. She honestly just wants to know.

"No! Absolutely not!" She answers, perhaps a bit too strongly. "This is about you. Finn isn't good enough for you, Rachel. Before the accident I already considered you a friend, someone I would look out for and try to help in any way possible. That's why I told you not to do it. Now that we've become closer, I consider you as one of my best friends and I really feel I need to be honest to you about this."

"So what was your plan? What were you going to say to me to convince me?" The still engaged diva finds herself asking.

"I honestly don't know." Quinn answers, chuckling slightly at her own answer. "I know what it's like to be in a relationship with Finn, so I'm sure there are a few points I could've easily made."

"What about now?" Rachel asks with hesitancy. "What would you tell me now if I was at that point again?"

The former cheerleader hadn't seen that question coming. Her thoughts immediately went back to the dream she had, the first night after she woke up. She still had this feeling that maybe she had that dream because she should prevent those things from happening. Because maybe she was the person most capable of accomplishing that.

"Does it matter? You guys made up, right? You had a nice date, talked everything over and are back to sharing a room at your house. You've set a new date and will probably exchange rings that day, regardless of what I tell you right now."

"I want to know." Came the brunette's whispered answer. She had been having doubts lately, mainly because of their fight. Things had gone back to before, sort of, but she couldn't help but feel like she had changed. Maybe it was seeing Quinn on the side of the road, not knowing whether she'd see another day that had her changing her view on things. Maybe it was the dream she had that night she spent at the hospital, after Quinn had woken up that made her realize that one decision could change her entire life. Maybe it was because she had found the friendship she always knew she could have with the blonde over the last few weeks which made her even more considered of her opinion. Whatever it was, at that moment, she needed to know why Quinn felt so strongly about stopping her from making a huge mistake by marrying Finn.

"The first night after I woke up, I had this dream about you. It was bits and pieces of what your life could look like with Finn as your husband. First it was okay, because you were in love and you were living your dream and he was there by your side. But then everything went wrong. He got in the way of you achieving what you were born to do and you ended up hating him for it. In this fight you had, you told him you should have waited to get married so you wouldn't be tied down before you even lived your life. That's why I still feels so strongly about this. Because I honestly feel that if you get married before you've even gone to New York, you'll regret it. I'm not saying you shouldn't marry him, although I do still think you're too good for him. I'm saying you at least should wait. You should get out of Lima and see what's out there. And if in a few years from now, you still feel so strongly about him and he's still who you want, marry him then. I'll be more than happy to give you my blessing then."

Silence came over the girls, both lost it thought. Quinn hoped she hadn't gone too far with this. She honestly cared so much about the brunette and just wanted to see her happy. If Finn was what made her happy, she would accept that. But she had to encourage her to see what else is out there and whether this was the right path for her. Meanwhile Rachel was beginning to see what Quinn was saying more and more. Finn was a great guy and she didn't have any doubts when she had said yes to his proposal. Right now however, she wasn't too sure what their future together would be.

"Thank you Quinn, for being honest with me. I can't really say what I feel about all this, I'm gonna need some time to process this further."

"That's all I wanted, for you to think this over some more. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Touched by the blondes words, the singer squeezes her hand as a sign of thanks. Needing to avert the attention from herself however, she decides to change the topic.

"So, when you told me there'd be some heartfelt conversations, I didn't really think this is what would come out."

The blonde chuckles. "Neither did I. This seems to happen a lot with us though."

"Talking about me, yes. Talking about you, not so much. Like I said before, if you want to talk about the accident, I'm here to listen, okay? I mean, that is why you came upstairs, right? After seeing the ending of that movie?"

"I was upset after the movie, not so much because there was car crash, more because it made me realize what I could have lost. I have so many regrets in my life, so many things I should've done differently. I guess I just needed a moment to tell myself that I was given a second chance and that I can make up for the things that I've done."

The smaller of the two didn't know how to respond to that immediately, so it was the blonde that spoke up again.

"I'm sorry for how I've treated you, Rach. You're such an amazing person, you've somehow been there for me at several crucial moments in the past few years and yet I never gave you the time of day. All I did was throw slushies and insults around, when really I should've just, I don't know, be your friend and actually let someone in for a change. If there's one good thing that came out of that car crash, it's that you and I have finally become the friends you always wanted us to be. I'm sorry I didn't see you for who you really are sooner."

"Thank you for saying that Quinn," The diva tells her after hearing her out like she promised herself she would. "But honestly there's no need. I've long forgiven you for what occurred between us in the past. I'm just really happy that we're at this point right now, where we can have conversations like this and actually talk about what we're feeling and thinking rather than expressing ourselves through yelling and scheming. You are more than your mistakes, you've done some incredible things you should be proud of and I know you are destined for a lot more still."

They smile at each other, happy to have all of that of their chests.

"I'm going to hug you now." Rachel says sweetly, before she raps her arms around her former frenemy and pulls her close. After a few moments, the two loosen the embrace and Quinn breaks the silence.

"What do you say we head downstairs and go watch another movie. I'm sure Brittany and Santana are wondering where we are by now."

* * *

><p>So there, finally another finished chapter :). It's the longest chapter I've written so far, so I hope you all liked it. I've got several pieces figured out already, like Quinn coming back to school and Finn messing up big time causing for Rachel to finally call it quits :p. I'm not quite sure when the next update will be, since I need to reread the previous chapters to make sure there aren't too many plot wholes (wouldn't want to be too much like the actual writers :p) and there is my other fic that I haven't updated in far too long as well ... But I'm definitely working on it! Reviews are much appreciated and always make my day, though just knowing there are people actually reading what I've written is pretty awesome in itself. Next chapter will be the rest of the movie night, so if there's something in particular you want to happen, let me know and I might consider it :p.<p>

Until next time!

Lucy


	8. Movie Night (Part 2)

Chapter 8 – Sleepover Part 2

"That sounds like a good idea." Rachel responds. She feels so lucky to have Quinn as her friend and to have her look out for her so much. She's never felt like someone actually cared so much, apart from her fathers, and on occasion Finn. She promises herself to keep her word and really process what the blonde told her. She knows she has her best interest at heart and she feels she owes it, not only to herself and Quinn but also to Finn to think this through.

As they walk down the stairs she decides to leave those thoughts for tomorrow, since today is about her first sleepover with the most popular girls at school and she'd regret it if she didn't enjoy it fully. When she hears Quinn gasp, her focus goes to the living room that just came into view. There they were, Santana and Brittany, heavily making out, both with their tops off. Because of her confusion, she didn't realize Quinn had turned around so they end up collapsing and falling from the stairs, which luckily ends just a few steps down. The noise of course gets the attentions from the girls on the sofa, who climb of each other but don't appear in any way to be embarrassed.

"There you are." Santana states, not seeming to care that her upper half is only covered by her bra, her cheeks are heated and her lips are swollen from the make out session. Noticing the shocked faces because of their state of dress, she throws in an amusing explanation. "We were starting to think you two had started getting your mack on, so we decided to give it a go ourselves."

Quinn and Rachel manage to get themselves upright rather quickly, but the taller of the two doesn't quite appreciate Santana's comments. "Really Santana?" She asks, going into defense mode straight away. "You didn't for one second think that maybe I was upset after the movie and needed a moment to myself? Or that Rachel could actually see the hurt in my eyes and therefor followed me to comfort me? Can you not think with your brain for two seconds?"

Everyone seemed a bit shocked by the sudden outburst, including Quinn herself, so nobody talked for a few minutes. Then finally, Brittany spoke up.

"Actually, Santana was all upset as well and couldn't stop crying. So in order to comfort her, I kissed her and that's all that happened until you fell down the stairs. Did Rachel comfort you with sweet lady kisses too? I'm sure she'd be really good at that." She says, innocent as ever, not realizing the blush her words would cause on everyone's cheeks.

Needing the attention to be diverted from the ditsy blonde's words, Santana got serious and tried to salvage the situation.

"I'm sorry Quinn, I didn't mean it like that. I get that you were upset and that the movie maybe made you think about things you'd rather not think about. I was just trying to lighten the mood." She says, doing her utmost best to sound sincere.

"It's fine, I shouldn't have snapped like that, I just …" As Quinn's trying to explain her outburst, Rachel puts her hand on the blonde's shoulder. The action seems to have an immediate effect and manages to cool the former head cheerleader down. The influence the shorter brunette had on the blonde did not go unnoticed by Santana.

"Can you two just please keep in your pants from now on? Cause that's the part of our sleepovers I really haven't missed." Quinn asks, a bit more play returning to her voice, still not quite sure what caused her to react so harshly.

Those last words seem to hold enough power for them to look slightly embarrassed. Rachel's a bit shocked to hear that the two don't seem to care there's other people around while they're getting hot and heavy. But then again, it is Brittany and Santana.

"No worries blondie, we'll make sure not to get carried away again." Santana states, smirk back in place.

"Yeah, and we won't take our clothes off from now on." Brittany adds, while pulling her shirt over her head. After thinking for a moment she finishes her statement by saying. "Unless we're required to do so of course."

Santana's smirk only grows at that, remembering all the drinking games that have been a part of their sleepovers. There might not be any alcohol tonight, but that doesn't mean they can't still play those games.

Quinn seems to be remembering too, but this only fuels her embarrassment for some reason. _Must be because Rachel is here._ She thinks to herself, smiling shyly at the brunette who seems rather amused by the situation.

"Okay, let's watch another movie, shall we?" She announces, wanting the moment to pass and the fun to continue. Unfortunately for her, the others don't seem to want to watch TV anymore.

"Can't we do something else, Quinn?" Rachel politely asks. "While I enjoy my occasional marathon movie night, at our home we tend to have a musical marathon almost weekly, at the moment I'm rather reluctant to sit in a chair for another two hours. I've imagined many things occurring during your sleepovers, and watching TV the entire time while eating popcorn wasn't really one of them." She admits, her own smirk now in place, curious to see the blonde's reaction.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Berry's got a point." Santana states, earning an eye role from both Rachel and Quinn. "Besides, I've got way too much energy flowing through my body to sit still anyway, if you catch my drift." She adds, throwing a wink towards Quinn before giving Brittany a sweet peck on the cheek.

"Okay, well what do you suggest?" Quinn asks, having no problem doing something besides watching movies, as long as it doesn't involve drinking and Rachel agrees.

"If I may," Rachel says, turning everyone's attention towards her again. She grabs a few papers from her bag and starts of her suggestions. "I took the liberty of looking up a few traditional sleepover games I thought you might like."

"So Berry did research? Big surprise." Santana states, not able to hold back her comments this time.

"Santana!" Quinn angrily retorts. "Unless you have any suggestions on your own, of the not alcoholic variety that is, I suggest you sit back and listen."

The blonde's statement seems to have the desired effect, as the Latina recoils and crawls up next to Brittany again. Rachel sends Quinn a grateful smile and starts going over her list.

"Number 1: Sleepover Ball Game. The idea is to write several questions on a large inflatable ball. You throw the ball around and the person who captures it, needs to answer the question underneath her right thumb.

Number 2: Two Truths and A Lie. Each person tells three things about themselves. One of these things is a lie. The others are to guess which is the lie.

Number 3: Pick a Question. Everyone writes down a few questions, such as 'Who will be the first to get married?'; then everyone precedes in answering using the name of someone in the group.

Number 4: Truth or Dare. I'm guessing everyone knows how that is played.

Number 5: Boardgames. I brought Twister, Trivial Pursuit, Would You Rather … ? and Songburst Special Edition: Musicals. I probably have a bit of an advantage on that last one, but I have a feeling some of you know more about musicals then you're letting on. It's also a very good way to learn things.

Number 6 …"

"Okay Berry, I think that's enough suggestions." Santana interrupts, not eager to find out how long that list actually is. When she notices Quinn ready to call on her again, she continues her thoughts so as to not have things turn bad again. "How about we just pick one of these 5? If we like it, we'll continue with it for a while and otherwise we'll pick another. It shouldn't take this long to choose a freaking game."

They can all agree with that and so they decide to go with 'Pick a question' first. Quinn gathers some papers and pens and hands them out.

"So, how do we play this game?" Brittany asks, unsure of the exact rules since she's never heard of the game before.

"Well, it's simple really." Rachel starts. Santana sends her a glare, hoping she realizes that what she finds simple, might not be as simple to others. The songster ignores it, well aware of Santana's protective nature and continues with her explanation. "First everybody writes down questions. These questions should be answered with a person in this group. Like 'Who do you think will be the first to get married?'. Everyone will take turn answering with the name of somebody in this room. I've made a few cards with everyone's names on it, so you won't have to write it down. You can answer anonymously, meaning that nobody knows who voted for whom. Personally I prefer to just say it outright, it seems more fun that way. The only rule is that you don't vote for yourself. After each question the number of times everyone is named will be counted. This could lead to some interesting suggestions and discussions I would think."

As she's explaining, she starts handing out the cards. She keeps her smile on the entire time, but she feels slightly nervous from the attention she's getting. Santana seems to be listening intently, while occasionally glancing at Brittany to make sure she understands. Brittany doesn't seem to notice and just nods along, like everything is completely clear. Quinn on the other hand kept her focus mostly on Santana. If there's one thing that can get you on the brunette's good side, it's making sure you interact with Brittany in a way that won't make her out to be some dumb blonde but at the same time make sure that she understands what you're saying. Maybe it's the practice she's had with Finn, or maybe she's just a gentle and intuitive person, but while explaining the rules to a simple game, Rachel seems to be getting closer to securing the friend-card from Santana, which few have ever managed. Quinn couldn't be happier with the respect she can tell Rachel has earned from her best friend and finds herself smiling and looking forward to the rest of the evening.

The questions start out mild, especially considering the mind of the fiery Latina in their presence. They go from 'Who will end up rich and famous?' to 'Who has the largest DVD collection?' and 'Who would win at Scrabble?'. The winners were respectively Rachel, Santana and a tied Rachel and Quinn. After about twenty minutes, the questions took a turn to the more adult spectrum. Surprisingly, it was Rachel who started it off, though not entirely aware of what she would be starting.

"Okay, next." She starts, looking over the questions she's written down. Deciding to take a risk, she chooses the second one on her list. "Who would kiss someone to prove a point?"

Since Santana is sitting on her left, she's the first to answer. "Quinn." They agreed head on to just let everyone answer and discuss afterwards. Otherwise, it turned out, there would be too much yelling.

Sitting next to her is Brittany, who has taken quite a liking to the game. She hasn't been able to use her questions yet though, since Santana asked her to hold off on them until they've reached a certain subject. "Rachel."

Quinn is up next and after thinking it over, she also answers: "Rachel."

Not having expected her name to be called twice, she quickly gives her answer, already somewhat regretting having asked the question. "Quinn."

"Did you just say my name so you wouldn't be voted winner of the question?" Quinn asks, with a knowing smile on her lips, curious to see what she'll say.

"No, not exactly." She answers, though her hesitance has everyone believing otherwise. "Okay fine, maybe I did. I just don't get why you would vote for me."

Brittany, ever the intuitive, answers plain and simple. "When you had Finn kiss you the first time, it was to prove that you're not the ugly duckling everyone made you think you are. You kissed Puck to prove that you didn't need Finn. When you did that video with Puck, Finn and Jesse, it was to prove you can be badass, though that kinda didn't work out the way you wanted it to."

"Okay Brittany, I think we get the point." Quinn states, not wanting her to continue listening the sometimes bad decisions Rachel had made two years ago. "Next question?"

"Look, I know I made a few bad decisions, but I've changed." Rachel states, ignoring Quinn's question. "You all still think I would kiss someone just to prove a point?" She asks, feeling a bit put on the spot but still needing to know what they thought of her now.

"Why are you still with Finn?" Santana asks, both trying to further point out what Brittany was saying and curious to find out the truth. When she doesn't get an answer right away and can see the hurt in both Rachel en Quinn's eyes for some reason, she elaborates.

"I'm not trying to be mean or anything, for a change. I just wondered whether you were still with him to prove something to someone. You've had your ups and downs, and I am sorry for the part I played in that by the way, but when it comes down to it, you two won't last. You're destined to be on Broadway, to make future generations want to be on Broadway. He's destined to stay in Lima and work on cars. So I'm just asking, are you still with him to prove that you can work or something?"

"I love him, that's why I'm with him." Rachel answers, though her voice lacks the confidence it usually has. "I know my future is in New York and I don't plan on letting anything ruin that, I just never thought I'd be able to share that with anyone and now I can. Finn is trying to graduate a few months early and start some acting classes. He'll be coming with me to New York next year, he's already filled out several applications. And, though we're not announcing it officially until his birthday party next Friday, we've set a new date and will be getting married after Nationals."

"Congratulations!" Brittany declares, as she gets up and engulfs Rachel in a tight hug.

Rachel smiles and accepts the hug gratefully, though her smile fades when she looks over at Quinn. She's probably making it seem too much like a sure thing when she's well aware of the doubts she's having, but part of her just wants to cling to that happiness that she feels when she imagines that life. She smiles softly to her, indicating that she can guess what she's thinking and that they both know it's not the full truth. The question caught her of guard though, she thought it was just Quinn that had doubts about their relationship but apparently she's not the only one.

"Next question." Santana states, again having noticed the look in Quinn's eyes but also the silent communication between the two that could indicate that she's not completely speaking the truth. Not wanting to dwell on it further or hurt anyone further, she thought it best to change the subject and ask Quinn about it later.

"Who would be the best wing man, or in this case woman?"

Brittany: "Quinn."

Quinn: "Santana."

Rachel: "Quinn."

Santana: "I would be pretty good at that, but I'm voting Quinn as well. How about we promise to test that theory when we're visiting each other at whatever university we'll be attending?"

"Sounds good." Quinn answers with a smile, happy for the change of subject though her mind is still dwelling on the last discussion that was had. "Okay Brit, your turn."

Brittany silently asks Santana if she can use her own questions yet. When she receives a short nod, her smile widens and she looks over the list of questions before her, finally able to ask what she wanted to from the start.

"Who is the most vocal in bed?"

Santana, Quinn and Brittany simultaneously say "Rachel", causing them all to burst out laughing. Rachel seems a bit wounded but can't help the smile that makes it's appearance.

"Really funny guys." She scoffs, well aware of how she can be perceived as loud but a bit annoyed by it being thought of as her most pronounced characteristic.

"Sorry Rach, we don't mean anything by it. In fact, it's a complement really. You feel big and express those feelings with every part of your body, which is obvious when you sing. Combine that with the feelings one has during sex, can only mean that you'll, well … be loud." Quinn explains, earning a gaping expression from the two brunettes in their midst. Noticing the looks, she realizes it might not have been the most normal thing to say. Not wanting to show she's slightly embarrassed, she quickly tries to change the subject, not bothering to mention that Rachel hadn't answered the question yet.

"Next question. It's my turn so …"

While Quinn is busy going through her list, trying to find a question that directs the discussion in a completely different direction, Rachel is completely lost in thought.

_At first I thought they were mocking me and just, at least partly, still see me as the same small and loud girl they always thought I was. Hearing Quinn's explanation though makes me happy to know she can look beyond that, something that few have been able to do. I don't have enough experience to know her line of thought is correct, my first time with Finn was very romantic and sweet but while it definitely made me feel loved, the sensations in my body didn't exactly make me want to scream out. Hearing her thoughts on the matter, has made me rather curious though._

A nudge to her sideshakes her out of her thoughts. Focusing on her current surroundings, she finds Santana smirking at her, Brittany smiling happily and Quinn eyeing her impatiently with a sliver of red still painting her cheeks. The sight is simply adorable.

"Huh?" She asks, realizing that her thoughts on how the blonde expects her to be loud in bed have caused her to miss something.

"I asked the next question." Quinn states. "Who would be the best personal shopping assistant?"

The blondes plan seems to work as they continue asking questions, both related and unrelated to sex, without anyone else saying something they'd want to take back. Unknowingly, they all wonder about certain things that have been said and others that haven't been said. None of them act on it, until they decide to play another game. Truth or dare turns out to be a daring choice all on its own when it becomes clear that the mind of a sober Santana Lopez is even more dangerous than a drunken one.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8, finally done! I hope you all like it! Next chapter will be Truth or dare, followed by Quinn's return to school. Part of this is already written and I hope to finish it soon! The chapter that leads to the break up is finished, the only adjustments there are to make sure it follows on the chapters before it.<p>

The next chapter for Questions and Kisses is also in the make, so with any luck this will follow shortly. Please let me know what you think so far, I promise there's good times ahead!

Thanks for everyone who's reviewed on the previous chapters, all the favs and alerts! You all made me a very happy girl :p.

Until next time!

Lucy


	9. Truth or Dare

Chapter 9 – Truth or Dare

Monday morning Quinn woke up with a smile on her face. She was completely cleared for school, so today she'd finally be roaming the halls of McKinley again. She was a bit nervous about seeing everyone again. She had a strong hope that this time the other students wouldn't look down on her the way they did when she was pregnant. But as she's thinking it over, she realizes that she doesn't care as much as she did back then. She has friends now, real friends. Sure things might be a bit awkward with Rachel, Brittany and Santana at first, but what happened Friday night would stay between them. They had made a pact after all …

*FLASHBACK*

"**Quinn, truth or dare?" Santana asks. The Latina was really happy to be playing this game right now. She had kept her cool with the questions game and now it was time for her to take advantage of the information she had learned with some well thought-through truths and dares. This could turn out to be a very interesting night.**

"**Truth." Quinn answers. It was still early in the game, she was sure Santana would make her do a few dares along the way, but right now she didn't mind to be predictable and answer some questions.**

"**Okay, that's what I thought. Answer me this: have you ever had sex with someone, besides Puck? And yourself obviously." She adds as an afterthought.**

**Obviously not expecting to be put on the spot like that, Quinn rolls her eyes ignoring the final part of the question and takes a few moments to answer. She was reluctant at first, seeing how it's extremely personal information, but she's surrounded with the two girls she's know the longest and has shared a lot with in the past and with the girl that was by her side when she woke up and has been nothing but the perfect friend to her. If she can't tell them, there's no one she can tell.**

**While Quinn gathered the courage to answer truthfully, Rachel makes a suggestion.**

"**Quinn, before you say anything, I have a suggestion." Quinn nods at her to continue, so she does. "This night has been extremely fun and honestly one of the best in my life." This comment makes the others smile happily, hoping in some way this makes up for the tears they had caused the diva in the past. "It's also been rather interesting and as the question Santana just posed indicated, certain things that have been said and will be said, are rather personal. I trust you girls, I really do despite our checkered past, but I suggest we make a pact. A pact that says that any and all things said and done tonight remains between us."**

"**Agreed." Santana states, without hesitation. Her approval seems a bit out of character to Quinn, but at the same time she too realizes that this night has been rather special. The trust they share with one another is one that should be savoured and agreeing to this pact is a way to ensure that the bond they have, becomes stronger and more honest.**

"**Agreed." Quinn repeats, smiling at Rachel who is beaming with joy at the approval of her suggestion. **

"**That sounds like a good idea." Brittany than says, making a personal note to ask Santana what it is she really shouldn't tell anybody.**

"**Okay, that's settled then." Rachel states before looking over at Quinn who's still sitting at her side. Quinn, you don't have to answer that question, but if you do, we won't tell anybody."**

"**Well, uhm, no … I haven't."**

*END FASHBLACK*

She got out of bed and prepared herself for the day that was to come. Rachel would pick her up, since she wasn't allowed to drive yet and she still hadn't met the challenge of asking her mum for a new car. She didn't mind though, she was happy to have someone by her side for when she would enter the school. It would also give her the opportunity to talk to her about what happened. The diva hadn't said a whole lot about some of the last events of the evening, but that in itself was rather curious.

When she got out of the shower, she could smell the breakfast her mother was making. She got dressed quickly, 'cause the moment she knew she'd be having bacon for breakfast, she got even happier.

"Hi honey," Her mom said. "Ready to go back school?"

There was a plate filled with bacon waiting for her and she happily started devouring it. She smiled up at her mum and between bites, answered her question.

"Definitely! It'd be good to be around people again." She swallowed another bite and then looked up to her mom who was frowning. "No offence."

"None taken." She said, having heard plenty of complaining to know what she meant. "I hope you won't be too far behind in your classes, that's the last thing you'll need in your last year of high school."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, mum." She answers with a sigh, knowing that her mother couldn't help herself in worrying about her grades. "Rachel's been helping me a lot and some others from the Glee club offered to help with the classes she's not in. You know all this, there's no need to worry."

"I'm a mum, I can't help but worry." She answers with a smile.

Quinn just chuckles as she loads her plate with seconds.

They sure had come a long way. They had both changed so much over the last few years, they had overcome quite a few obstacles but they're both better for it. Leaving Russell and mending things with her daughter was the best thing Judy had ever done. Their relationship was almost like every other teenager has with her mother, sometimes frustrating but overall one filled with love and trust.

When the doorbell rings, Quinn quickly eats the remainder of what's left in her plate. Her mum moves to open the door, since she knows very well Quinn doesn't part from her bacon unless she absolutely has to.

"Oh hello Judy, is Quinn ready?" Rachel says when she finds the eldest Fabray answering the door.

"Hi Rachel, come on in. She's just finishing her breakfast."

"Let me guess, bacon?"

"Please don't give me another lecture! I know they used to be some poor defenceless pig, but honestly it just tastes too damn good!" Quinn yells from around the corner, knowing full well that just the mention of her bacon-addiction sets the vegan diva of.

"No lecture, I promise. I've grown accustomed to the fact that you can't live without it, I was just pointing out that your choice of breakfast is rather predictable."

Quinn doesn't really have an answer to that, being both confused by the lack of ramblings that usually follow when Rachel catches her eating meat and stunned because of how playful she's being. That last part shouldn't still be such a surprise though, she and Rachel have gotten quite friendly with each other. There's a mutual trust and a connection that has significantly grown over the course of her recovery. She was mostly relieved they could fall into that so easily. She decides to just stick out her tongue, feeling rather immature but not really caring so much about it.

"Let's go Rach, I don't wanna be late on my first day." She says while opening the door and heading towards the car. Ignoring Quinn's childish behaviour, she just waves goodbye to Judy and follows the blonde out, making her way to the driver's side of the car.

"So, how was the rest of you weekend?" Quinn asks, after a few moments of silence have passed since they've started driving and she's decided to drop her little act.

"It was okay I guess, nothing exciting." Rachel answers plainly.

"Rach, are we okay?" Quinn suddenly asks, not able to keep it in anymore since she's been wondering ever since she left her house on Saturday.

"Of course, why wouldn't we be?" She answers in the same tone of voice, a signal to Quinn that something was definitely off.

"It's just … Ever since that last dare, you haven't really said much. I just can't help but wonder if you're troubled by something I did." Quinn says, unable to keep the worry from her voice. The last few weeks with Rachel had been amazing, she would hate for it all to be ruined by a silly kiss.

Rachel sighs. Quinn had gotten way too good at reading her. She knows she's been a bit different ever since that kiss, she had tried not to let it show, but obviously Quinn saw right through that.

_I'm an actress dammit, it shouldn't be so obvious when there's something on my mind! Now is not the time to have this conversation with her. I need to pull myself together and convince her that I'm fine, or at least that I don't wanna talk about it right now. I shouldn't hide it from her for too long though, she'll probably worry. I'm glad I figured some things out this weekend though._

"Honestly Quinn, everything is fine. Friday was an amazing night, I'm so happy I got to be a part of it." This time, she managed to sound more like her usual self which she was extremely relieved for. "How are you feeling? Nervous to be back at McKinley?"

All too aware of the brunette's attempt at changing the subject, she decides to play along. She knows that if there is something that's bothering her, she'd come to her in her own time.

"A bit yeah, I mean I'm really happy that I can finally leave the house and be around people again. I'm excited to get back to some of my classes, like English Lit and Glee. Mostly, I'm just really happy I get to see my friends and talk to them somewhere other than my room and about something else then my accident."

"That reminds me, we have Glee after school today. Nationals is approaching, so Mr. Schue thought it wise to spend some extra time brainstorming about how we'll finally get that trophy this year."

"That sounds great." Quinn says, a bit less enthusiastic than she was at first. If they were gonna talk about Nationals, they were gonna want to know whether she'd be joining them. That's something she didn't know yet. Her next appointment was this Wednesday, hopefully things would become clearer after that.

* * *

><p>As they enter the school together, walking next to each other, neither of them notice the strange looks they're getting. It isn't until they reach Quinn's locker that they realize there's quite a few heads turning their way.<p>

"Why is everybody looking at us? I expected some glares, but not like this. I know I've been gone for a while, but it's not like I was still ruling this school when the accident happened." Quinn wonders aloud, looking at Rachel for a possible answer.

"Maybe it's because last they knew, we weren't exactly friends. We weren't enemies anymore either but they probably didn't expect us to be so … comfortable around each other."

This made the ex-cheerio wonder for a while. As worry started to cross her features, Rachel reached out her hand and placed it on her shoulders, urging her to look up.

"Don't go feeling guilty again. I know you feel bad about what happened between us in the past, but, and this is the last time I'm saying this, it's in the past. We are good, okay? We're now in a place with each other where we can appreciate the things we knew before more and are able to discover the things we didn't know yet."

Quinn feels her emotions getting the better of her after hearing Rachel speak. She knew her so well, sometimes even better than Santana; and while it scared her, it also made her feel like the luckiest person alive to have someone like Rachel know her so well. She pushes back the tears that had lined up and wraps her arms around Rachel, engulfing her in a tight hug.

"I'm so lucky to have you as a friend." She states, this time causing the diva the need to push back her emotions at the honest statement from the blonde. After their hug, they just smile at each other, both happy to be in each other's lives. This causes the brunette to make up her mind about something.

"You have a free period after lunch right?" She asks the blonde. After receiving a nod she tells her to meet her in the auditorium at lunch, because there's something she wants to show her.

Quinn answers with a short okay, but before she can ask anything the bell signalling the start of the first class of the day sounds, causing them to separate and head to their respective classes.

* * *

><p>As lunch finally comes, Quinn is only slightly less happy about being back at school. A lot of teachers spoke to her about her deadlines on certain assignments. While she's been kept up to date rather well thanks to Rachel, she'll have to put in some more efforts in order for her to get back on track. She was rather confident though and happily made her way to the auditorium to meet with Rachel.<p>

"Hi Quinn." The brunette greets her. "How was your morning? Still glad to be back?"

Quinn eyed her curiously as she saw her swinging her legs from the side of the stage. It almost seemed as she was nervous about something.

"Hey Rach." She answers back, her curiosity for what the singer wanted to show her rising with the minute. "It was alright I guess, I'll have to work my but off to really get back on top of things, but thanks to your help these past few weeks, I'm sure I'll be up to speed soon enough."

"Well, I'm glad I could help. You're really very smart, I would hate for you to fall back to far because of the accident. Besides, next to Mike you're the only other real competition for valedictorian and I wanted to be sure that when I win, I win it fair and square." She adds with a wink before continuing. "All that aside though, if there's anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask, okay? I'm really very good at making study tables, it might help in keeping everything organized." She suggests.

"That would be great Rachel, thank you. I'm curious though, did you just ask me here to see how my classes went?" She asks, curiosity getting the better of her from watching Rachel be so fidgety.

"Though I did really want to know how your classes went, you're right to assume there's another reason why I asked you here."

By this time Quinn had made her way to sit beside Rachel on stage, her body turned towards Rachel while the petite diva still sat facing the empty auditorium.

"I know you thought I was a little strange this morning. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding my thoughts, but clearly you're even better at reading me than I thought. Besides wanting to know your first day back went okay so far, there's actually two more reasons I asked you to meet me here. The first one is that I wanted to talk to you, about Friday."

Both girls felt the tension rise at the mention of that day, knowing there were things they both needed to figure out about what had and hadn't been said that day and all the things that had happened.

"Okay." Quinn states, anxious to see where this conversation would go but relieved that they would finally get it all out there since she had avoided it all before.

"I realize I acted rather strangely to the, uhm … kiss and I wish I knew why, but I don't really understand it myself, not fully anyway. I just knew that it bothered me somehow, but I want you to know that I'm not mad at you or anything. I just wanted to be honest with you like we have been these past few weeks and explain what I'm feeling, or at least the feelings that I've figured out so far."

Quinn listened intently, happy to hear that kiss wouldn't ruin what they have despite not knowing what it does mean for them in the end. She stays quiet throughout the rest of her speech, feeling like she shouldn't be interrupting something she was obviously rather nervous about.

"We all learned a few things about each other and about ourselves that night. While some of it was rather surprising and sometimes a bit embarrassing, most of it made me feel closer and more connected to you." Realizing she might be coming on a bit heavy, she quickly adds, "And the others. And I really liked that feeling. So I just wanted you to know that from here on out, no matter what, I'm gonna be there for you."

Having said all she needed to say, Rachel gets up and walks to the side where some members of the band were waiting for her signal. She takes a seat on one of the two chairs facing each other in the middle of the stage while the band sets up around her and indicates to Quinn to take the other seat. Unable to do much else, still caught up in the words Rachel just said to her, Quinn does as instructed and faces the brunette again.

"The second reason is because I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me and I found the perfect song to say it with."

Before Rachel can signal to the band to start playing, Quinn puts one of her hands on Rachel's, turning her attention to her and what she wanted to say first.

"I can't begin to tell you how much this all means to me, and I don't doubt that this next song is going to be absolute perfect and beautiful. I just wanted to say first that I'm gonna be there for you too. No judgements, no lies, just an honest and unconditional friendship."

"Well I'm glad you feel that way, 'cause that's exactly what the song is about." She says, before she nods over to the group, giving them permission to start playing.

"_Oh uh-huh_

_If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea  
>I'll sail the world to find you<em>

_If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see  
>I'll be the light to guide you<em>

_We find out what we're made off  
>When we are called to help our friends in need"<em>

She takes a hold of both of Quinn's hands, just as she goes in to the chorus, hoping she'll realize how true those words are.

"_You can count on me like 1 – 2 – 3  
>I'll be there<br>And I know when I need it  
>I can count on you like 4 – 3 – 2<br>You'll be there  
>'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah<br>__Ooooooh, oooohhh yeah, yeah_

_If you're tossin' and you're turnin'  
>And you just can't fall asleep<br>I'll sing a song beside you  
>And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me<br>Every day I will remind you_

_Oooh  
>We find out what we're made of<br>When we are called to help our friends in need_

_You can count on me like 1 – 2 – 3  
>I'll be there<br>And I know when I need it  
>I can count on you like 4 – 3 – 2<br>You'll be there  
>'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah<br>Ooooooh, oooohhh yeah, yeah_

_You'll always have my shoulder when you cry  
>I'll never let go, never say goodbye<br>You know..._

_You can count on me like 1 – 2 – 3  
>I'll be there<br>And I know when I need it  
>I can count on you like 4 – 3 – 2<br>You'll be there  
>'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah<br>Ooooooh, oooohhh_

_You can count on me 'cause I can count on you"_

Just as she had instructed beforehand, the guys around them grab their instruments and leave the girls to have their moment together. Quinn quietly wipes the tears that had fallen from her face and looks straight into Rachel's eyes, the biggest smile on her face

"Thank you." She says, her voice a bit hoarse from emotion. "That was … incredible. I've never felt so lucky to have someone as amazing as you consider me a friend. It just makes me feel like an idiot for not realizing sooner how special you really are. You might have a small stature, but you have such a big heart. You are just so amazing, and I promise, I'm gonna prove to you how good a person I can be. From now on, I'll be there for you just as much as you've always been there for me, even when I didn't let you. And whether you'll marry Finn or not, I'll support you either way. I promise."

Rachel smiles, feeling very lucky herself for having been able to look past the mask that Quinn had put up so often over the past few years. A part of her feels like they're taking the next step in their relationship, like they've truly become best friends now. Another part of her seems to think there's even more meaning to this moment, but she can't listen to that part, not right now.

"Thank you for saying that but you really don't have to prove anything to me. I know who you are Lucy Quinn Fabray and I am happy to be your friend." She states, earning a chuckle from the use of her full name. "And as for Finn, I wanted to thank you for not mentioning the turmoil that I have about us to Brittany and Santana. It's not that I don't want them to know, it's just that I need to figure things out for myself before I let anyone else influence my decisions. It's safe to say though that Friday night made me realize things I didn't before, about myself and about you guys. But I'm sure you could say the same." She says with a soft smile, thinking back to some of the revelations brought on by questions during their game on Friday.

*FLASHBACK*

**They had been playing truth or dare for well over an hour. Rachel had admitted to not being a virgin anymore, which the others had assumed, but also that she and Finn had only been intimate the one time and that it wasn't that great, though she had assumed this was due to lack of experience and the general knowledge that the first time, especially for the girl, was rather painful. The fact that they had only done it once, was more of a surprise for the group, a surprise Quinn found herself to be rather happy about. The brunette had continued to explain that Finn had agreed to her suggestion to hold off until their wedding night. Since that night never came and the weeks following had been so hectic, they hadn't found the right moment for their second time.**

**Santana had been asked what had been the most special night of her life. This caused her to admit that she and Brittany had lost their virginities to each other on one of their sleepovers when they were thirteen. While this was something that wasn't that big of a surprise, it still made Rachel's heart soar, thinking of the beauty of their connection. She was very much a romantic and thought it was rather special that they had shared such a beautiful moment years ago and then finally, after some struggling and soul searching, were able to admit to themselves and to each other how much it had all meant.**

**Brittany in turn had admitted that she really hated it when people called her stupid when asked what she hated the most about McKinley. She knew she wasn't as smart as some of the other kids at school, but her mind just didn't work the same way. She was smart when it came to people, that's how she knew Santana would come around and they would be together eventually. It's also how she knew that Quinn is only mean because she's spend so much time hating herself. She's especially mean to Rachel because she's been able to take it all with her head held high, which she was never able to do. Then again, she had said, Rachel is just a really good actress because she has felt everything that's been thrown at her and it just made her more determined to get to Broadway because she feels that's the only place where she'll truly be appreciated.**

**Santana was used to her girlfriend's insight into everyone's personality and actions, so she just smiled at her, squeezed her hand and told her that she loves her and that she thought she was the smartest girl she knows. Quinn had spent enough time around Brit to know she's not as dumb as everyone thinks she is. Her assessments had been spot on though, which had caused her to feel a bit embarrassed about her past actions. A reassuring smile from the diva however told her that it was all in the past and she had forgiven Quinn because she too knows that it was out of insecurities, not actual hate and she has since made it up to her by being genuine about their friendship.**

**While it wasn't her biggest revelation of the night, after being asked what her biggest regret was, Quinn had explained that she regretted the not-existing relationship she now had with her father. She had always been a daddy's girl and while there was plenty wrong with the expectations and views they had bestowed on her when she was younger, she still loved her parents very much. She was just glad that at least her mum had come around and seen the error of her ways. Though she didn't think it was realistic, she still hoped her father would change for the better as well.**

*END OF FLASHBACK*

The girls enjoyed the rest of their free periods in each other's company, relieved the air was cleared about the events of the other night. They laughed and joked about some of the dares they had done, without mentioning the last dare of the night. Just like Rachel, Quinn didn't really know how she felt about it yet.

* * *

><p>When the last class finally ended, all the Glee kids made their way to the auditorium. Unknown to Quinn, they had planned a performance just for her, to let her know how happy they were that she was back. Rachel had thought it out perfectly. She shared the last class with Quinn, which was absolutely perfect because she could ask her to wait for her and go to Glee together. The devious girl deliberately took way too long to gather her things and when she finally stepped out of the class room, the blonde was obviously rather annoyed with her.<p>

"What took you so long? Glee is starting in two minutes."

"Don't worry, we'll be right on time." She just answers, hiding her smirk so the former cheerleader doesn't realize she's up to something. She makes her way in the direction of the auditorium, which is the opposite direction of the choir room.

"Rach, where are you going? The choir room is back that way."

Not receiving a response, she just hurries to follow behind the brunette since her long legs seem to have given her a bit of a lead. She finally catches up with her right in front of the entrance to the auditorium.

"Rachel, what are we doing here? You already sang to me this afternoon, I always enjoy your performances but don't you think we should be with the others, brainstorming for Nationals?"

"Actually, the brainstorming is scheduled for Wednesday. Today the New Directions wanted to focus on something else instead."

Still not understanding what was happening, she followed Rachel through the door. As soon as the stage came into view however, she stopped in her tracks. The entire Glee club, Schuester included, were in position on stage, dressed in their 'Don't Stop Believing' outfits. Noticing the shocked expression on Quinn's face, she quickly explained what was happening before she could join the group.

"I already told you how much you mean to me this afternoon, but I'm not the only one who's happy to see you're happy and healthy again." She grabs the blondes hand and directs her to the first row where she indicates for her to take a seat. "Enjoy." She tells her with a wink, before she hurries on the stage to take her place. The moment she does, the music starts playing and their welcome back performance can finally begin.

_[Finn & Puck]_

"_So no one told you life was gonna be this way"  
>"Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's DOA"<em>

It was perfect for the boys to sing those lines, since they both had been her love life and it had never ended right. Rachel had insisted on this, so as to keep the atmosphere light and above all make sure there was a smile on Quinn's face.

_[Artie & Sam]_

_It's like you're always stuck in second gear  
>When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year but..<em>

_[All]_

_I'll be there for you  
>When the rain starts to pour<em>

_I'll be there for you  
>Like I've been there before<em>

_I'll be there for you  
>'Cuz you're there for me too...<em>

_[Blaine & Kurt]_

_You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight  
>You've burned your breakfast so far... things are goin' great<em>

This made the blonde chuckle, since she had burnt her breakfast not too long ago. Her mother had to go to work and Rachel was at school so there was no one around to help her. She desperately wanted bacon, but had accidentally burnt it since she was too busy failing in grabbing a plate and a platter with her left hand.

_[Tina & Mercedes]_

_Your mother warned you there'd be days like these  
>Oh but she didn't tell you when the world has brought<br>You down to your knees that..._

_[All]_

_I'll be there for you  
>When the rain starts to pour<em>

_I'll be there for you  
>Like I've been there before<em>

_I'll be there for you  
>'Cuz you're there for me too...<em>

_[Rachel]_

_No one could ever know me  
>No one could ever see me<br>Seems you're the only one who knows  
>What it's like to be me<em>

Rachel had of course insisted to sing that part. It fit perfectly with what she again had witnessed today: that she knew Quinn and Quinn knew her and that from now on there'd be no more reason to hide their true selves around each other.

_[Brittany & Santana]_

_Someone to face the day with  
>Make it through all the rest with<br>Someone I'll always laugh with  
>Even at my worst I'm best with you, yeah<em>

This again made the most sense coming from them. They had been through so much but through it all the Unholy Trinity was a package and they all knew in the end they were there for each other. They might sometimes bring the worst out in each other, but often they also bring the best out of each other.

_[Mr. Schuester]_

_It's like you're always stuck in second gear  
>When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year...<em>

_[All]_

_I'll be there for you  
>When the rain starts to pour<em>

_I'll be there for you  
>Like I've been there before<em>

_I'll be there for you  
>'Cuz you're there for me too...<em>

_I'll be there for you  
>I'll be there for you<br>I'll be there for you  
>'Cuz you're there for me too...<em>

"Okay Q, so here's how it is." Santana speaks up, after the music has faded. "While it was incredible stupid of you to be texting Berry while driving to her almost wedding, we're all really happy that you're back to your annoying self. School and Glee haven't been the same without you there, so this was our way of saying welcome back." As usual, the Latina still kept it real as she addressed the blonde, but as most of them could see right now, she genuinely cared and was happy to have her best friend in one piece.

"Thank you Santana, all of you." Quinn said, standing up and clapping enthusiastically with a gigantic smile on her face. "This was really great!"

"Group hug!" Brittany shouted. They all laughed at the bubbly blonde's suggestion but they all gestured for Quinn to join them on stage and they proceeded to engulf her in a group hug. They didn't ask her the questions she had been dreading all day about whether or not she was ready to perform with them come Nationals, instead they all gathered around in a circle and talked about what had happened at school while Quinn was recuperating at home. Quinn herself had some stories as well, about how clumsy she had been at first without the use of her right arm. Rachel of course teased her about it, saying she had just been too stubborn to ask for help. They all laughed and enjoyed each other's company, just happy to have the group whole again.

Before long, Mr. Schuester announced that their time was up, so they all gathered their things and started heading home. On their way out, most walked by Quinn and told her again how happy they were to see she had recovered well. Soon the only people left were Rachel, Quinn, Santana and Brittany.

"Okay Rach, ready to head home?" Quinn asks, since Rachel was still very much her ride home.

"Actually, there's one last thing we need to say." Santana tells her. Seeing the serious expression on Santana and Brittany's face, she directs her attention to them.

"I know the end of Friday was kind of intense …" She started out, not really sure how she should say it. She didn't regret anything, it had all just been out of good fun for her, she just wanted to make sure her and Quinn were still cool. She'd be confirming the same thing with Rachel later, but it would be best if Quinn wasn't around for that. "But I just want you to know that your secret is safe with us and if you ever need to talk, about anything, we're always happy to help."

Brittany stood by her side, smiling proudly up at her. She hadn't expected her girlfriend to suggest they talk to Quinn and Rachel after Glee about Friday night. But she could tell she was a bit nervous about what happened, afraid she had crossed some kind of line. Brit didn't think she needed to worry, those first few moments had been a bit weird and Quinn did seemingly avoid them a bit today but she was sure it would all be good in the end.

"Thanks S, I really appreciate that." The blonde told her, happy to hear her best friends still very much had her back. "Uhm, about Friday … We're cool right?" She asks, a bit of nerves shining through.

"We're cool Q." She tells her with a smirk before throwing her arm around Brittany's shoulder and walk out the auditorium as well.

Just before they walk out she shouts back to Quinn: "Oh, by the way. You're one hell of a kisser, Fabray."

At that moment, all four of them think back to the last few minutes of the past Friday night.

*Flashback*

**Since it was getting late, they had decided it was time for their final round of Truth or Dare. Rachel's question was how she rated herself on the Kinley scale. Familiar with the rating scale that one uses to rate their homosexuality or heterosexuality, she explains that she doesn't rate herself at all since she doesn't want to label her sexuality. While in the past she had strictly followed the traditional heterosexual lifestyle, she doesn't define herself by that.**

**As the brunette builds up her case around the matter, Quinn finds herself particularly interested in her views and encouraged to confide in the girls that she's starting to discover that she can't label herself as straight either. She had never said those words out loud before and was slightly shaking when she finally did. Since all three other girls knew how hard it must have been for her to say those words, they all join in for a group hug and make a promise to always be there for each other from now on.**

**After the emotions that had risen up from the last question, Brittany thought it was a good idea to lighten the mood a bit and dares Quinn to kiss Santana. Quinn was reluctant at first, not feeling ready for such a bolt move and a bit concerned about how Rachel would react, though she's not sure that's something she should be thinking about. Santana therefor took her to the side and told her that if anything, it would help her realize whether she was really attracted to girls. There wouldn't be any repercussions, since Brittany had come up with the dare and she and Santana trusted each other and Quinn. When this still wasn't enough Santana pulled one last trick out of her sleeve by telling her it might make Rachel jealous. Quinn's first instinct was to be upset with the implications, but she quickly recovered and gave Santana a small nod.**

**They returned to the group where both Brittany and Rachel were sitting in anticipation. The two HBICs went to sit on their knees in the middle of their little circle and inched closer to each other. Santana just waited, since the dare said that Quinn was to kiss her. She felt like it wasn't up to her to initiate anyway. After finally gathering the courage, Quinn gave in to her curiosity and locked her lips with Santana's. Their kiss quickly became heated, since they're both strong personalities with the need to always be in control. **

**When Santana finally managed to take the lead and plunge her tongue into the blonde's mouth, Quinn no longer seemed to be able to keep herself quiet. Those sounds seemed to have a very obvious influence on Rachel which caused Brittany to realize she should put an end to this before the diva exploded. She gently put her hand on Santana's shoulder who instantly pulled back and locked eyes with her girlfriend. Seeing the confusion she subtly nods towards Rachel whose cheeks were a scarlet red and who was staring holes in the ground, trying to hide the influence the kiss had on her. Nodding her understanding she gives Brittany a sweet peck and sits herself in her usual spot next to Brittany. **

**Quinn on her part didn't move since she was still recovering from the kiss. The moment the haze disappeared from her mind however, she turned to look over at Rachel whose eyes was still turned towards the floor. She looks over at Santana and Quinn who both just shrug and places herself in-between Rachel and Brittany again.**

**When Rachel finally breaks the silence, it was only to say that if they didn't mind, she would head up to bed. There was no longer any sign of what had bothered her before to be spotted in her expression, instead she was wearing her show smile. None of the girls were fooled by it anymore though, but they all agreed to end the game, even though Brittany and Santana still had one turn left. Quinn followed Rachel to the guest bedroom, but they didn't say anything. The next morning, no one mentioned the kiss. Rachel just made some excuse about having to go to a dance class and not being able to stay for breakfast. She actually had a class to attend, so it was a legitimate excuse, but the reason she really needed to go was because having both Quinn and Santana around, only made her replay the kiss they had shared. The feelings that had risen up inside her were without a doubt brought on by jealousy, which was not something she was supposed to feel. **

*END OF FLASHBACK*

* * *

><p>So, this was chapter 9 :D. I hope you liked the flashbacks, I could've gone for an entire chapter about Truth or Dare, but I thought this was more fun :p.<p>

What did you all think? Did you expect it was Santana and Quinn that had kissed? Why do you think Rachel reacted the way she did?

Thanks for all the alerts/reviews/favourites from last chapter, I hope this was to your liking!

If there were any mistakes, I apologize. Feel free to let me know what I did wrong and I'll be sure to correct it.

I'll be updating Questions and Kisses soon, hopefully this week and will work on the next chapter for ToYH after that. I'm sure you all want the break up to happen and all I can tell you is SOON :D.

Until next time!

Lucy


	10. We Need To Talk

_Previously on Touch Of Your Hand:_

_Brittany, Santana, Quinn and Rachel have a sleepover at Quinn's to celebrate her returning to school on Monday. After watching City of Angels, Quinn gets rather emotional because of the crash at the end and the realization of who she was in the past and how she could've lost everything. When Rachel goes to find her, they both open up about their feelings about the accident. Quinn explains how she was actually coming to stop the wedding and tells Rachel about the dream she had in the hospital which encouraged her to try and change her mind. All this gave Rachel plenty of things to think about, both regarding her friendship with Quinn and her future with Finn. After the movie, they play some games including truth or dare. The last dare initiates a kiss between Santana and Quinn, which causes Rachel to have less than plain friendly feelings. On Monday Rachel confides in Quinn, telling her that she doesn't know what her reaction meant yet but that she's trying to figure it out. Both Rachel and the entire Glee club sing a song to Quinn to let her know how happy they are to have her back._

**Chapter 10 - We Need To Talk  
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Tuesday started the same as Monday had for Quinn. Big bacon breakfast, happy to be spending the day with her friends again and relieved that Rachel and her had cleared the air and she wasn't left dreading having to talk about what happened last Friday. Quinn couldn't be happier about Rachel's honesty towards her. It must have been hard for her to admit that her reaction meant something about their relationship, even if she didn't know what it was yet. The past few days had been filled with revelations for Quinn. She'd had no expectations for the sleepover, but in the end she had told Rachel the real reason for her hurrying to make it to her wedding. She had finally said how bad she felt about how she acted in the past and actually felt like it was okay that Rachel had forgiven her. She had told the girls how she was starting to come to terms with the fact that she might not be all together straight and now there was Rachel telling her that seeing her and Santana kiss, had been hard for her, though she wasn't sure what to make of that just yet. On top of that, the brunette had sang a beautiful song to her, just to let her know that she's there for her and trusting she'd be there in return. All her friends singing to her as well, had made yesterday absolutely wonderful.

There were still a lot of unknowns though. Mainly, Rachel and Finn were still together, in fact they were announcing the new date for their wedding at his birthday party on Friday. It didn't mean it was a sure thing that they were getting married, but it did sort of mean that Rachel was still leaning towards it more than she was against it. After all, Rachel was an honest person. If she felt like the wedding wasn't a good idea, she would've told Finn and if she had told Finn, there's no way the entire school wouldn't know about it by now. Then again, maybe she hadn't found the right time to tell Finn. After all, she was still spending most of her time looking after her and it wasn't a conversation one was likely to have on school grounds. Maybe she should give her the chance to have a night with Finn, so they can clear the air. A big part of her hoped that clearing the air would mean that they call off the wedding, but just like she had promised Rachel, she would still support her if that wasn't the case. After all, that's what friends do.

A few minutes later, Rachel was there to pick her up. She decided there was no time like the present and if she waited too long she'd probably lose her nerve.

"Hey Quinn, you ready to go?" The brunette asks, excited as ever to be going to school. Quinn couldn't help but think how different things were compared to even only a year ago. The thought of the diva picking her up for school would've been absolutely ridiculous and the fact that she was happy to do so, even more.

"I'm ready Rach. Thanks again for picking me up, I'll probably find out tomorrow whether I'm aloud to drive again so maybe I can return the favor soon." She tells her while getting in the car.

"Oh right, your physical therapy session. It doesn't really matter to me, I'm happy to drive you anytime."

"Thanks, but I'm really hoping he'll clear me. Everybody keeps telling me to get back on the horse as soon as possible, so I'm thinking I should do just that."

"Do you need me to pick you up tomorrow night? I do have a class, but it shouldn't make you wait for more than 15 minutes."

This was of course what Quinn had been waiting for. Usually she did pick her up, but remembering that girl Lucy saying she'd be there again as well, maybe she should take this opportunity to talk to her a bit and give Rachel a night off at the same time.

"Actually, my mum should be able to pick me up. Now that I'm back in school, she changed her hours back so that she's mostly free in the evening." She thought about mentioning talking to Lucy, but decided against it. She got the sense that it might help her to talk about the entire situation with someone who wasn't so close to it. But if she mentioned it to Rachel now, she might change her mind.

"Ooh, okay." Rachel said. She tried not to let it show, but she felt a bit disappointed that she wasn't needed. The friendship between her and Quinn was finally forged when Quinn had needed her after the accident. A part of her was afraid she wouldn't need her anymore now that she was better and their friendship might not continue. She couldn't help the insecurity she still felt sometimes about the two of them, even after what they said to each other after she sang her song to Quinn. There had just been so much loneliness, she never wanted to go back to that.

Quinn only vaguely noticed the somewhat odd reaction since she was thinking about how to phrase her next words in order for her plan to work.

"I didn't really expect you to offer any way, I thought you'd have plans with Finn tomorrow night."

"You did? Why did you think that?" The brunette asked.

"Isn't it his birthday tomorrow?" Quinn asks, surprised about the diva's question. "I know you have the party of Friday, but I figured you would've planned something for the two of you on the day of his birthday."

Rachel suddenly realized that just last week she was thinking of doing exactly that. She was planning on doing some research on Friday and making the reservations on Saturday. The sleepover must have thrown her off. Unsure on whether to let Quinn know about forgetting something that's usually so important to her, she decides to spin the truth a little. Luckily they were just arriving at school, so she wouldn't have to fabricate too much information.

"Ooh yeah, well Finn isn't usually on time so I figured I would have plenty of time to pick you up and drop you off at home."

Quinn just nods, curious about the vague answer but happy her plan might have worked.

After Rachel parks the car, they both grab their bags and head to the entrance. They're quickly joined by Brittany and Santana so the conversation gets pushed to the back of their minds for now.

Rachel was feeling nervous. She didn't have any classes with Finn before noon, so she had until lunch break to talk to him. She had been racking her mind about what she should plan for the two of them on Wednesday evening. Most restaurants don't need reservations on week nights, so she should be okay on that front. She's already bought him a present as well, so that part was covered. She actually bought him two presents, one she could give him tomorrow and one she had planned to wear underneath her dress for the party on Friday. She wasn't so sure any more about that second present though. She'd originally gotten it for their wedding night and when that didn't happen she had put it aside for his birthday. A lot had happened since then though, and she didn't feel she was in the right place to wear that for him on Friday, mostly because of what would follow when he saw it.

That course of thought lead to her being nervous. After all, if she wasn't in the right place to sleep with him, how could she be okay with the prospect of them getting married? She didn't want to ruin his birthday by telling him that she was having second thoughts, but since they had planned to announce the new date on Friday, she knew she had to do it soon.

On top of that, she was hoping Finn wouldn't notice her lateness in asking him out on a date for Wednesday. Usually she announced their dates sooner, so that she was sure they both kept their evenings free. Now however, she had completely forgotten about it and had offered to pick Quinn up instead. She knew she could always say she wanted it to be a surprise and he would most likely believe her. But she would know and it would only add to the guilt she's already feeling.

She shared the last class before noon with Quinn. Though she was reluctant to talk to her about this situation given how their relationship had become more complicated, she didn't feel like she had a choice. She had been a great confidant the past few months and it was clear that she knew her well. There's no one that would be able to give her better advice.

When she enters the classroom, she can see the empty seat next to the blonde. She smiles to her and after receiving a smile back, she takes a seat beside her.

"Hey." She greets her. "How's your second day back been going?"

"Very similar to the first I guess." She answers, smiling. She notices Rachel seems to be fidgeting and can't help but think about their conversation in the car that morning.

"How's your day been?" She asks, knowing that she'll talk if she feels the need to.

"Actually, not so great. I haven't really been able to focus much." She finds herself truthfully saying. She then wonders if she could ever lie to Quinn. She has often noticed how insightful the blonde could be. She somehow always knows what to say, or not say, in order to get her to open up or to admit to something she'd been trying to ignore.

"What's been on your mind?" Quinn asks, obviously concerned. Anyone that knows anything about Rachel, knows that paying attention in class is very important to her. Just then the teacher walks in, which Quinn assumes means that they won't continue the conversation until after class. For that reason, she's thoroughly surprised when she sees Rachel writing something down on a piece of paper and then sliding it over to her.

_R: I've been thinking about the date with Finn tomorrow night. There's something I should tell him, but I don't want to ruin his birthday in doing so._

Quinn really wants to ask her what it is she needs to tell him, but instead she goes for the less difficult question.

_Q: Why do you need to tell him tomorrow?_

_R: Because it's about our announcement on Friday …_

Quinn knows well enough what that means, which is why she needs a bit of time to answer. Although it's very unlike Rachel, she can understand why she'd be unable to focus with something like that on her mind.

_Q: So, you're thinking about calling off the wedding?_

She knows it's rather selfish to ask that question, but she couldn't help herself. This time, Rachel seems to be having a hard time on finding the right words.

_R: I just know that everything becomes more complicated the moment we announce it. It doesn't feel right to tell people something that might not be happening. I just don't know how to explain this to Finn._

_Q: I can understand that, especially since there are things at play that you don't know how to explain to yourself yet._

_R: I just feel kind of lost right now. So much has changed since he first proposed to me._

There was more that Rachel wanted to say, but if felt wrong saying it through paper. That was a conversation they should have face to face, not sneakily during class.

_Q: I know how much you care about him and I know there are some things that you can't tell him, yet. But it would hurt him more if you didn't say anything at all. Just be as honest as you can be with him. That's always been your approach, it seems like the right way to go now as well._

Rachel knows that Quinn is right. After all, they had promised each other there'd be no more secrets.

_R: You're right, I think I know what I have to say. Thanks Quinn, I'm really glad I can talk to you about this._

Just as Quinn is about to write back, she notices the teacher looking right at them and the paper. Not wanting to get her or Rachel into any trouble, she subtly hides it underneath her textbook. Rachel seemed to realize the same thing, so she smiles at her gratefully and they continue the rest of the class trying to pay attention. As soon as the bell rings and they leave the classroom, Quinn continues their conversation.

"So, are you going to be okay talking to Finn?"

"I guess so. It won't be easy either way, but it doesn't feel right to have him thinking that everything is back to normal between us when that's not the case. I don't know which words I'll use exactly, I guess I'll just talk from the heart."

"That sounds like a good idea."

When they reach their lockers, they find Brittany and Santana already standing there, again causing them to end their conversation. They put away their books and head over to the lunch room together. Finn waves them over to the Glee club table and they all enjoy their meal together. When Finn walks Rachel back to her locker to retrieve the items she'll need for the next lesson, she finds it the perfect moment to talk to Finn about their date.

"So Finn, are you doing anything tomorrow night?"

Perking up at the sound of plans Rachel might have made, he puts on his best sideway grin and answers with a smile.

"Well, I was hoping we could do something special together. Since you hadn't mentioned a date, I asked mum and the others if we could have the house to ourselves for the night so they said they'd go to the movies if we wanted them to."

Rachel felt rather bad about Finn noticing she hadn't asked him out yet. She hadn't even made any reservations, so she couldn't go into detail, but she decided she'd stick to what she had thought up to tell him that held the least bit of untruth to it.

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise. Just wear something formal and I'll come get you at 8."

"Sounds good."

They exchanged a sweet peck and both headed off to their respective classes.

That night, Rachel made a plan for the next evening. Luckily, she was still able to get a reservation at Breadstix. She had requested a table in the more secluded area so she was sure they could talk privately. She had tried to plan out the actual conversation, but didn't seem to be able to get it right. She found herself unable to predict his reaction. Their communication really hadn't been going well the last week, but part of her hoped that he had realized it too. She figured if he did, that would mean he might not be so blind sighted.

She went to bed that night, hoping she'd be able to pay better attention in class the next day and just have a peaceful day so she can mentally prepare herself for the inevitable turmoil that would come with the date. That hope ends the next day at noon, when she finds herself being pulled inside an empty classroom by Santana.

"Santana, what are you doing?" She asks when she finds herself locked in an empty classroom with the Latina.

"Well hobbit, I wanted to talk to you."

She knew by now that she didn't need to be offended by the Latina's word choice. She figured she just wasn't used to calling her by her first name yet and the names she still used for her, were hardly the most offensive ones.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" She asks, not really sure she should be worried or not.

"About Friday." She states, causing Rachel to decide that she probably should be worried.

"I know things got a little intense towards the end, with the kiss and everything and I couldn't help but notice the way you reacted to it. So in the spirit of us being actual friends now, I just wanted to make sure that we're cool."

Confused with the statement, she tries to mask her concern about the Latina noticing her distress by casting it off like it was nothing.

"Of course we're cool, Santana. It was just a game, why wouldn't we be?" She starts to make her way towards the door, hoping to end this confrontation when she's stopped by the taller brunette standing in front of her.

"Obviously we were just playing a game and it didn't mean anything, but since you're engaged to Finn, it seemed like a weird reaction to have. Jealousy being the weird reaction. You can tell me if I'm being too confrontational, I'm pretty much use to it. But Q is my girl and even though we have our differences, I gots her back."

"Look Santana, I get that you want to look out for your friend, but honestly there's nothing for you to worry about."

"Listen Rachel," The use of her first name is enough for the diva to realize that she means business and she won't be getting out of that room until she gives her an explanation. "I'm no idiot. It's obvious that you were upset about the kiss. I don't care why, I just know that it somehow has to do with Quinn. I mean, I'm hot and all, but since we've only recently started to see past each other's annoying traits, I'm pretty sure it wasn't her you wanted to trade places with. So I'm here to tell you, that you better figure it out before you go telling everyone about the new date on Friday."

Rachel lets out a deep sigh and hangs her head slightly. "I know." She starts to get frustrated again, about her feelings and the situation she put herself in. She always considered herself to be a good person. Sure she puts her ambitions before others, but in the end she always tries to do good for the others around her as well. Right now, she just feels torn. On the one hand there's Finn. He was the first person to be kind to her and it's always felt good to have him at her side. Sure he's flawed, but nobody's perfect. She has a fair amount of flaws herself. But then on the other hand, there was Quinn. She doesn't know the exact nature of her feelings towards her, but in any case, there not the type of feelings she should be having while being engaged to someone else.

"Santana, I know you mean well right now, but I need to figure this out on my own. I can't explain my reaction to you, because I haven't figured it out for myself yet. But I promise, I'm going to talk to Finn tonight and we'll see after that whether there'll be any sort of announcement on Friday. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm rather hungry so I'd like to get something to eat before lunch is over."

The taller brunette let her pass this time, but she figured it might have been out of shock. The moment she had said it, Rachel realized she might have given her too much information. It might be a good way to test their newly found friendship though. She just hoped Santana would give her enough space to figure out a way to not cause to much hurt, regardless of the outcome of tonight's dinner.

The rest of the day seemed to pass without her noticing and before she knew it, she was dressed and ready to go pick Finn up for their date. A date she thought, might just end up being their last. After her conversation (or confrontation) with Santana, the diva spend the rest of the day going through all types of different scenarios on how the night could go. No matter how she seemed to spin it though, Finn was going to get hurt. She had no idea how to make things easier, she just knew that the truth, or at least enough of it, was the only right way to go.

She glanced at the clock, and besides realizing that she should head out, she also remembered that Quinn's physical therapy session was just about over. She really needed to talk to her, but she had to get going so the moment she got into her car, she turned on her Bluetooth and dialed her number so that she could use the hands free option her car offered. After a few rings, the call connected.

"This is Quinn."

Rachel could hear a smile in her voice, like she had just been laughing. She couldn't help the slight pang of jealousy that coursed through her. Realizing this was not the time for that, she pushed those feelings aside and led the conversation to where she needed it to go. After all, it wasn't that long a drive to the Hudson-Hummel clan.

"Hey Quinn, it's Rachel. You done with therapy?"

"Rach hey, how are you? Yeah, I finished fifteen minutes ago. I got some great news." Just then Quinn looked at the time and realized her happy news could wait since there was definitely a bigger reason behind this call.

"Wait a minute, it's almost 8. Shouldn't you be picking up Finn for your date?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way over there now. I just needed to talk to you first. I'm really nervous about tonight and I just wanted …" Before she could finish her sentence she was interrupted by a very unhappy Quinn.

"Rachel, are you calling from your car? Has my accident taught you nothing? When you're driving, you need to keep focused on the road!"

"Quinn, relax." She quickly interrupts, not wanting her to worry unnecessary. "I'm calling hands free, both my hands are on the wheel."

"That doesn't matter. You're still dividing your attention which is really dangerous. Please either pull over or call me back when you're at Finn's if you really need to talk to me before the date."

Part of her felt happy of Quinn's protectiveness, but at the same time she was frustrated because she didn't have time for either of those things. After all, there was a limit to how fashionably late Rachel Berry wanted to be.

"I can't Quinn, I don't have time. Listen, I just wanted you to know that no matter the outcome of tonight, our friendship means the world to me and I don't ever want to risk losing that."

It was quiet on the other side for a few seconds, though it seemed longer. To Rachel it was too long which was why she called out to Quinn, hoping to get a reaction.

"I know Rach, our friendship means everything to me too. But right now, you need to focus on your relationship with Finn and how much that means to you. I'm gonna hang up now because I don't want to worry about you being on the phone while driving. Good luck Rachel. I'm here if you need to talk. During your date or after it, okay? Just not while you're behind the wheel."

"Okay Quinn, thanks! I'll hang up now, I'm almost there any way. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye Rach!"

Not a minute later, she was pulling up to Finn's house. She collected her thoughts before taking a deep breath and walking out of the car, gift in hand. Here goes nothing, she thinks to herself.

When Quinn hangs up the phone, she finds her two companions staring at her curiously. True to her word, Lucy had been there again after physical therapy and she had accepted her invitation to go out for drinks, under the condition that she could take her girlfriend with her since she was already on her way to pick her up. Quinn immediately agreed, partly because she really needed to talk to someone and Lucy seemed like the kind of person people came to when they needed someone to listen, but also because this way she could see how a seemingly regular lesbian couple behaves in public. The only reference she had was Brittany and Santana, which she wasn't sure was very representing of lesbian couples in general.

Before Rachel called, the three had been getting to know each other. Lucy and Melissa, which is what her girlfriend was called, told her how they had met and fell in love instantly. Neither had had a girlfriend before, always having had the bad luck of falling for someone who was straight or more curious than willing to start a relationship. But when they finally found each other, all the heart ache and tears seemed worth it. Lucy, as it turned out, was a book editor. She's written a few stories herself as well, but nothing published yet. Melissa was studying to become a psychologist. Throughout the introductions, Quinn really felt the appeal to confide in them. Both their life experiences and their jobs meant they were likely to have an interesting perspective on her situation.

"Everything okay?" Lucy asks, unintentionally having heard enough of the conversation to know Quinn was worried.

"Yeah, it's fine. Rachel's just worried about her date tonight. I'm not sure what she's going to tell Finn, but it's probably going to lead to the end of their engagement, at least for now."

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Lucy's girlfriend Melissa says, as she sums up the story she's just been told. "This girl was about to marry your ex but she got worried about you and when she found out you were actually in a car crash, the wedding was postponed. Then she helped you get back on your feet after the accident, in large part because she felt guilty but then that guilt transformed into a genuine friendship. The kind of friendship she had offered before but you hadn't accepted because of popularity reasons and maybe even some insecurities about your sexuality you weren't yet aware of. You've gotten even closer over the last few weeks, causing you to face up to questions concerning your sexuality. Then when you kissed one of your friends in front of her for a dare, she acted all kinds of weird which she later explained by saying she didn't like it but she couldn't tell what it meant exactly. You both decided though that you needed to figure stuff out, and you helped the situation by making sure she goes on a date with her, for now still, fiancé. During this date, you hope she comes clean about her hesitations, causing the wedding to perhaps be cancelled and possibly leaving Rachel to be single."

"That sounds about right." Quinn agrees. Hearing it summarized like that makes her feel rather stupid. Talk about high school drama. But at the same time, it's kind of beautiful how they grew towards each other and how one moment changed so much for the both of them, even if it was a car crash that initiated the change.

"Does she know how you feel?" Lucy asks, trying to get a good enough read on the situation to possibly give some useful advice.

"I think so, I'm not sure. It's not like I've come out and admitted that I have feelings for her, I don't think I've actually admitted that to myself yet. But she knows how much I care about her and how I think her and Finn aren't working anymore. I feel selfish for telling her that, but I'm also protecting her because I'm convinced that he'll only drag her down. He doesn't mean to, deep down he is a good guy, but he's not right for her and he'll stand in the way of her dreams."

"How do you know you are right for her? I mean, that is what you want isn't it? For her to be with you instead of him?" Melissa asks, earning a glare from her girlfriend. Her passion for psychology was showing a bit much and Lucy was worried it was going to scare Quinn off. When the blonde just answers truthfully, she starts to realize she probably wants them to ask those questions because she wants to know the answers just as much.

"If she wants to be with me, I would jump at the chance to be everything I can for her. I can imagine us moving to New York, her studying music while I study art or photography. I can see us running lines together for auditions and her posing for me for art projects. I want those things, probably more than I should. But above all, I want her to be happy and I just don't think Finn can give her that. If she'll only have me as a friend or if she needs time to figure out what we could be, I'd be happy to give her that. I just don't want her to foolishly marry Finn Hudson, only to realize that there's so many things out there for her that she can't discover any more. She's way too young and too talented to be tied down this fast."

"So why do you think she called you before?" Lucy asks, not entirely sure she understand the girls need to call her friend before her date with the man she's engaged to.

"I think she just needed a bit of a push in the back. I've always been blatantly honest with her, even before we were friends. We've agreed to keep doing that so that we remain the trust in our friendship. I think she just needed to hear that no matter how things went tonight, I'd still be there for her."

"You've sure come a long way from being enemies. Have you talked about your past much? It might seem like it's something you just want to leave in the past, but in order to really form a steady friendship or possibly a relationship, you need to make sure that there's no lingering feelings from back then."

"I think so, I mean, she forgave me for all the things I put her through."

"She might have forgiven you, but that doesn't mean that a part of her isn't insecure about how you treaded her back then. If you could do it then, what's to stop you from doing it now?"

"I'm a different person now. I've changed so much, with having a baby and getting in a car crash. I'm not the bitch I was back then."

"But why were you such a bitch? And why did you focus on her so much? I'm sure she's wondered about it before. It sounds like all she's ever wanted, was to be your friend. She finally got her wish, but I'm sure she's been worried about whether or not it's too good to be true."

Quinn was starting to feel uncomfortable. Clearly Melissa knew what she was talking about, but was this really something she should be worried about?

"Melissa, honey." Lucy states, noticing the frown on Quinn's face. "Maybe you should back off a little, you're not in a therapy session, you're just trying to help out a friend."

"No, it's fine." The blonde says. "You're absolutely right. I treaded her horribly in the past and it's one thing that she's forgiven me for those actions, it's another to really understand them and to trust that I'm not going to revert to who I was. No matter what happens at that date, starting tomorrow, I'm going to show her how she's made me a better person and promise her not just through words but through actions, that she can trust me and that I'm there for her. No matter what!"

The two girls are wearing identical wide smiles after her passionate speech.

"Here, here!" Lucy shouts, while lifting her glass causing the others to lift theirs.

Rachel and Finn arrived at the restaurant just in time for their reservations. Turns out Rachel could have easily finished her conversation with Quinn, since Finn was nowhere near ready when she arrived at his house. He had wanted to do something special, so he had worn the same suite he wore for their almost-wedding. He had also gotten flowers, but as he was taking them out of the vase, he accidentally dropped it and cut himself on one of the shards which had let him to bleed all over his shirt. Right at that time, Rachel rang the doorbell which startled him and made him slip in the water and tear his pants.

The brunette thought it was charming, how he had tried so hard to make things extra special and was feeling hopeful about the evening despite their tardiness because of the wardrobe change. She couldn't help shake the feeling that it was a bit childish as well though. She needed the person she married to be independent, strong and dependable. Right now, he just seemed like an eighteen year old boy trying to be a man and she did not want to build a future with a boy who thinks he can.

The trip to Breadstix went over smoothly and when they arrived at the restaurant, they found it to be a slow night. Rachel saw this as a good thing, since there was less chance of anyone overhearing the conversation she had been practicing in front of the mirror for the past two hours.

"So Finn, how's everybody at home?" Part of her wanted to dive right in, but she knew she had to build up to the subject she needed to address gently, if she had any chance of preventing Finn to kick all the chairs in his storm out.

"They're all good I guess. Burt has been showing me some new things in the shop. He's fine with me not taking over, but he said it's always good to have something to fall back on. Mum's been busy working, but she's happy so that's really good. Kurt has been going crazy about his application for NYADA. Speaking of which, have you decided on a song yet?"

Rachel was a bit worried about the comment about Burt's tire shop. It's not like it's a bad thing to know how to change a tire, but the fact that he's even considering taking over the shop as a plan B, means that staying in Lima is a possibility for him. For her, it was not a possibility at all. Deciding to focus on his question for now, she went on to tell him why the song choice was not a choice to be taken lightly.

Throughout her somewhat rant, she notices his focus wandering of a bit. She knows that she can talk in paragraphs from time to time, she does know herself pretty well. But even if you're not interested or if you don't understand all of it, the least you could do is seem interested and nod every now and then. All he seemed to be doing, was staring at the steak someone was eating a few tables over. When the waiter came by, he very enthusiastically orders the stake with fries (his usual) while she orders her favorite salad. Because of the interruption, Rachel had stopped talking about her NYADA audition and so thought it might be time to steer the conversation towards the direction it needed to go tonight. Not wanting to break bad news without something positive proceeding it, she pulls out the gift she had ordered for him a few months ago.

"So Finn, since we're waiting for our food, maybe now is a good time for you to open your present."

Finn looks up, obviously excited about the gift.

"That's a good idea Rach, I can't wait to see what you got me."

Rachel smiles happily, though she's starting to get nervous again, because the turning point of the evening was approaching rapidly.

She hands Finn her gift and waits patiently as he unwraps it. She knows he can tell it's a book and that he's wondering why he would be given one. He wasn't the fondest reader, as he was sure she knew. But then when he finally sees the title, he realizes he might just enjoy reading the book after all.

"It's collection of some of the stories of the greatest actors of the 20th century. There's also a list of tips and tricks they have learned over the years. I thought it would be fun for you to study while you're waiting for your letter. At the back, there's also a certificate for an acting class in Columbus."

"Wow, Rachel, this is really great." He states while looking through the book. "I've never liked any book I've gotten for my birthday, but I'll definitely be reading this."

"I just really wanted you to know that I do support your dream of becoming an actor, I never wanted you to doubt that. There's a lot of really interesting things in that book and I'm sure that the acting class will give you even more confidence for the next few years."

"Thanks Rach, this is really awesome! I actually wanted to talk to you about all this. I got my letter from the acting school I applied to."

The tone in his voice led Rachel to think the news wasn't all that positive, so she reached over and put her hand in his, encouraging him to continue.

"I didn't get in." He said, disappointment clear on his face. "They said I didn't show enough promise and since the whole graduating early thing isn't really in my cards, there was no way for me to gain enough experience to convince them otherwise."

"I'm sorry Finn, I know you really wanted to start as soon as possible. But it doesn't mean you should give up. If you attend the acting class in Columbus and maybe some others as well, it will give you more experience and you'll have more chance of getting in next year. Meanwhile, you can just continue with school here, since the class is in the weekends, and graduate with all your friends."

Finn seemed to perk up at that, realizing that the rejection wasn't the end of his dream as he had thought.

"Thanks Rach, I'm so glad you're supporting me with this. I thought you'd be disappointed too, since it would mean I might not be able to go to New York with you. At least not right away."

This was it, the opening Rachel needed. This is where she gently explains that while it doesn't mean that his dream of becoming an actor is over, it does mean that their relationship, or at least their engagement, has to come to an end. She gathers all her courage and wraps both her hands around one of his. They lock eyes and she starts to speak.

"Finn, there's something we need to talk about …"

* * *

><p>Finally! Here's chapter 10 :-). It's another longer one, partly because there was a lot I wanted to be told and partly as an apology for taking so damn long! Since I got myself a job, my routines have slightly changed, leaving less moments to build on the story and write it down. The next one should be a lot sooner though, since it's partly written already. That's what also caused the long wait, I had the next chapter ready for several months and I just needed to get to story there so it would flow in naturally.<p>

I hope you all liked to story! Let me know what you think, if you could. I'm curious to hear about how you think the conversation went, what Rachel will tell Quinn about her date and what Quinn will tell Rachel about her talk with Lucy and Melissa. If you have some suggestions about how Quinn should prove that's she's never going to be the bitch she once was to Rachel, don't hesitate to tell me in a review or a PM.

All mistakes are of course my own. English is not my native language, so any tips or corrections are always welcome.

Until next time!

Lucy


	11. The Break-up

Chapter 11: The Break-up

_Previously on Touch of Your Hand:_

_Quinn met up with Lucy and her girlfriend after physical therapy to talk about her situation with Rachel. It ended up being very insightful and caused Quinn to really want to prove to Rachel that she's here to stay, as a friend or more. Meanwhile Rachel took Finn to dinner, supposedly to celebrate his birthday but actually to talk to him about their announcement at his party on Friday regarding the new date for their wedding. During the first part of their date, Finn had told her that he didn't get accepted to the acting school he had applied to right after she had given him his present. Now it was time to get to the second and hard part of their evening._

**Rachel's POV**

"There's something we need to talk about …" Cliché, I know, but maybe that's a good thing. After all, it gives the recipient a hint of what's to come, at least that's what I thought.

That first sentence was the start of a fifteen minute speech that I had tried to put together for the past few days. Luckily, Finn did manage to pay attention throughout it all for a change. He didn't really give away how he was taking it though. I tried to be positive, using as few negative words as possible. I told him we had a good time together but the dynamic had changed. That we both had a bright future ahead of us, but we were headed in different directions which would make it harder to make it all work. I assured him we could be in each other's lives but it would be in both our best interests to call the wedding off.

I tried my hardest to not make him feel too bad, hoping that we'd come out of this as friends, at least eventually. The food arrived just after I was done talking, anxious to know Finn's reaction to the rather unhappy news. What I got was not in any of the scenarios I had pictured when preparing for this night. All he did was tell the waiter to go ahead and bring the check before he started eating. He didn't look up from his plate, not even when I was pleading for him to say something, anything … The check was brought when Finn was already half way through his food, while I hadn't even touched my salad. I decided to let him eat in silence, hoping it would give him time to process things and talk to me afterwards. That hope was at least fulfilled.

I looked up to him when I heard him put his cutlery down. The words that came next again caught me by surprise. "Is this a test?" He asked. "Is this your way of trying to force me to come to New York with you? Is there someone else? What is this?"

His questions worried me. They also hurt quite a bit, but I decided not to focus on that since he was hurting too. The thing that threw me most though, was the tone of his voice. He sounded so calm … It scared me to no end. I figured he had used his meal to calm himself down as best he could and to gather his thoughts. They weren't thoughts I expected him to have however.

All I did was open up about my concerns on our pending nuptials, yet he saw this as a test? I wanted us to be adults about this. After all, we were talking about marriage. An endeavor that very much requires two adult parties. I didn't appreciate having accusations thrown in my face, even the one about there being someone else. It's not that that didn't play a part in this, I could at least admit that to myself. But he should know, I would never cheat on him! Not after last time!

After his questions I took a few seconds to relieve my anger. There was no point in starting a yelling match.

"Finn, this isn't some trick of ploy to get you to do something. This is me genuinely telling you that we shouldn't get married. We're too young and there's too many factors against us. New York is my future. I can't let anything … or anyone stand in the way of that. Please just try to understand. I know I'm hurting you and that's the last thing I want to do, but in the end this is best for the both of us."

Finn nodded and seemed to be struggling with his emotions. "Can you just take me home? I need some time to think."

I easily agreed. The ride home was quiet but not too uncomfortable I thought. He just needed some time and space to think about what I told him. I just hoped that he'd be able to talk more tomorrow. Little did I know what that time and space would lead to …

School on Thursday came and went. Finn never crossed me in the hallways and seemed to keep as much distance as possible during our shared classes. He was obviously avoiding me and I couldn't really blame him. Luckily, I had Quinn by my side. She listened carefully as I told her what had happened the night before. She tried to assure me in every way possible that I had done the right thing. And even though she has her reasons for wanting me and Finn apart, none of them seemed to matter. She was just trying to be a good friend. She even managed to say a few good things about Finn, something that hadn't occurred since our actual friendship started. It seemed she really wanted to be there for me, with no expectations or judgment, and I really appreciated it.

She made me more confident about my decision. So whether Quinn and I end up together or not, I knew I could count on her as a friend. The voice inside my head telling me it wouldn't last was still present, but at least it wasn't as powerful anymore. "Focus on yourself and your future," she had said. This made me realize how much I have to look forward to. It started to make me feel like my old self again and caused me to crave for the making of a new Myspace video. My days of putting it online for everyone one to see and unfortunately tear me down were behind me, but it would be nice to add something new to my personal collection.

Just as I had everything set up and the lyrics of the Kelly Clarkson song I had chosen perfectly memorized, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." I called out since I assumed it was one of my dads. Turns out I had missed the doorbell while I was listening to the song one last time, since it was Finn standing on the other side of the door.

"Finn, hey." I said. He stood lingering at the door, completely unsure of what to do with himself.

After a bit of silence, it seemed like minutes but it was likely that just a few seconds had passed, I asked him to come into my room. The silence continued so I went on to hope my next question could get him talking.

"How are you?" I asked as I sat myself on the bed, assuming he would follow. Instead he started walking around the room, clearly lost in thought, until finally he stopped to look at me and spoke.

"I'm okay. Thanks for uhm … giving me some time and stuff. I just needed to think and I've come to a conclusion, so I need you to hear me out."

I gave him a nod to indicate that I was listening and so he continued.

"I understand that you're scared and worried about us, especially if I don't go to New York with you. I get that, I really do … But I'm not worried . Whether I'm with you in New York or not, I know we can do this. I can work at the shop so I can earn some money and at the same time take classes like the one from your present. That way we'll have a bit saved up by the time I get to New York a year later. It will give you some space to discover New York on your own, while still having me to lean on when you get lonely. You can still have your dream and have me with you, I promise. All we have to do is get through the next year, and we can be together. I know you said you wanted to call off the engagement, but what if we just postponed the wedding. I can come over sometime to help find a place for us. We can get married in New York, it would be perfect."

He was painting a pretty good picture, but I knew I had to stick to my resolve. I didn't say anything, because I could tell he wasn't done talking. At this point, he was kneeling before me, holding my hands and looking me right in the eyes.

"I feel like you're giving up on us and I don't want this to end. We can make this work, I know we can. You just have to trust that. You just have to trust me."

Part of me felt so happy to hear him fight for us like that. He sounded so passionate and so like the man I knew he could be. I realized though that these were still just words and I just didn't have it in me to trust it anymore. I had certain expectations from my significant other. While some of it might just be me being high maintenance, over all, it was more than that. And over all, Finn just didn't seem to be enough anymore. I'm not that sixteen year old girl that wanted desperately to be liked and that needed a leading man by her side. I am now headed to Broadway, I am on my way to reaching my dream and the person standing next to me needed to understand and support that fully. When I look back now, Finn just didn't seem like the guy I needed next to me. At this moment, there was a certain blonde that was showing a lot more potential. No amount of promises were gonna change my mind.

I knew he'd try to convince me to stay together, but unfortunately that only meant that I had to make myself even clearer. Sadly, that also meant I had to break his heart all over again. New York needed to be my sole focus right now, and that won't be possible if he's still holding me back.

"Finn, I appreciate what you're trying to do and I know you believe that we can make it last, but I honestly don't think we should be together anymore. I need to focus on my career and I can't do that as long as you're keeping a part of me away from New York. And even if you could come with me, I'm afraid we'd only drift further away from each other. It would only cause us more hurt and I don't want that for either of us. If we end it now, we can make a clean break. You can choose which way to go next year without having to consider me. Like I said yesterday, we can still be in each other's lives, I want that very much. But we just can't be in it the way we are right now."

The tears he had been fighting were slowly coming down. I know I just broke his heart and I hated that.

"So you're ending this? I thought you just didn't want to get married anymore. I thought you were having second thoughts because of New York and my rejection letter. But now you're telling me it's over? I don't get it, we were doing fine, we just …"

"We weren't doing fine, Finn." I interrupted. "We barely talked anymore. We've hardly slept in the same bed together and the time we do spend together, there's barely any intimacy between us. I'm just trying to keep us both from making a mistake and getting hurt even more. We weren't on the right track, we haven't been for a while now."

"Who is it?" He suddenly asks me, rage now clear in his eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"Who's the one that's been filling your head with this? Was it Quinn? Because before the accident, everything was going fine and then you started to spend all your time with her … You know she's just jealous, right? She's not your friend Rachel. You were there for her when she needed someone so now she probably feels obligated to be friends with you."

I knew he was just angry and felt like lashing out, but unknowingly he was saying the exact things that were worrying me. Whether there was any truth in what he was saying, didn't matter right now though. My friendship with Quinn wasn't the issue here, and I needed to make that clear.

"This isn't about Quinn and you know it." My own anger was starting to show. When he first came here with his little speech, I thought he had come to talk to me like a man. Instead he was just being the same insecure boy he usually is when things don't go his way. Him dragging Quinn into this, only made my resolve stronger.

"This is about you and me. And when you really think about it, you know I'm right about all of this. I love you, I really do, but we can't keep doing this. We've lost some of the spark that we used to have in our relationship and I don't see us finding a way to get that back. It's time for us to let each other go."

Tears had come streaming down my face. I hadn't wanted this, I had hoped we could have a mature conversation without it turning into yelling and tears. I just couldn't keep it in anymore. Finn just needed to face reality and admit that things weren't right. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't done fighting. It wasn't really in his nature, I suppose. I just needed to stay strong and hope that he would open his eyes to the truth soon.

He left a few minutes later, but not before asking me to think about what I was giving up. I had already thought plenty about the repercussions, so instead I focused on finding a way to make it even more clear to him that I wasn't about to change my mind. I already had a few things in mind that I knew I'd had to get around to eventually.

Returning his engagement ring for example. I hadn't been wearing it on my finger the past week, just on a chain around my neck. My now former fiancé, of course, hadn't noticed it. Another thing I needed to do, was sing a song in Glee. Throughout our relationship there had been many reasons for songs between us, it was the way we communicated without having to say certain things directly. Hopefully this time, it would help in convincing him.

Then there was the party tomorrow. I was still considering going yesterday, as I sign of my wanting to be friends. But since that probably wasn't how he would see it, I knew I shouldn't attend. Instead I'll ask Quinn to hang out. I needed her shoulder, whether to cry or just lean on would depend on how tomorrow goes.

With Finn gone and my plans for the next day thought out, I headed down to talk to my fathers. On my way down I turned my phone off, expecting Finn to be calling and texting me. I know my dads knew something was up and they had been waiting for me to come tell them. As I explained my predicament, they were as supportive and understanding as ever. All they really want for me is to be happy. I could tell they were relieved though. It was then that I realized how hard this must have been for them all this time. I just hoped they weren't too disappointed in me for my foolishness.

After our talk, lots of hugs, kisses and I love you's, I went to bed early. I was thoroughly exhausted from the fight and all the emotions that had come with it. I fell asleep wondering what the next day would bring. It wouldn't be easy, that's for sure, but if I stuck to my plan, perhaps there would be a turnaround soon. Eventually I would find that no one could have predicted just what was going to happen the next day …

I woke up 30 minutes before my alarm was set to go off. I hadn't slept very well, too many thoughts moving through my head. Today was a big day. Today I was going to return Finn's ring, make it publicly known through song that we were over and hopefully spend the evening with Quinn because there were a few things we needed to say to each other. Of course I had to ask the blonde first.

Until now, I hadn't been able to define my feelings for Quinn, I just had a few facts Like how I thought she was the prettiest girl I had ever met. And how I really didn't like to see Santana kiss her. I also knew that she's quickly become the most important person in my life and I was failing in picturing any kind of future without her.

So hopefully tonight I can tell her how much she means to me and what that could lead to. But at the same time, I need to make it clear that I'm not ready for a new relationship. Even though in my heart I know that Finn and I have been over for a while now, the engagement only just ended. I just hope she will be willing to wait.

I got out of bed and started on my elliptical, something that usually helps in clearing my mind. The shower afterwards helped as well, as I went through the song I would be singing in Glee. Sure the reason for it was very much Finn related, but I had grown accustomed to focusing on the lyrics and the melody rather than the feelings that were stirring within me when I needed to.

Soon enough, I was ready to go pick up Quinn. The doctor had okayed her for driving, but I had asked to pick her up one last time. Originally, I just didn't want to put an end to our arrangement just yet. Now however, I was hoping she'd agree to spend the evening with me, starting the moment school ended. If she agrees, I'll just take her home with me since my fathers are going to be out late. A few minutes later I'm pulling up to the Fabray's. As usual Judy lets me inside to find Quinn eating away her bacon. She smiles when she sees me coming in, but there seemed to be a hint of worry in her eyes. Something we'll probably talk about on our way to school.

"Glad the week is over?" I ask, hoping she'd appreciate some light conversation.

"Definitely!" She answers. "I'm glad to be back at school and all, but missing a few weeks is harder than I thought. I just hope I get up to speed soon enough."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. You're one of the smartest people in our year. I'm sure they'll cut you some slack if you need it, but I doubt you will."

She smiles appreciatively at me. It baffles me sometimes how little faith she has in herself. She's had to overcome a lot in the last few years and it only seemed to have made her stronger. I've been privileged to see that it's partly a front she puts up in front of others, it's not uncommon for experiences as hers to put a dent in someone's self-esteem. But despite all of that, she's grown up a lot and she's become someone you can depend on. I see so much strength and potential in her, if only she could see it in herself.

"Well, let's get this day started." She says, putting her dirty dishes in the sink. "That way, hopefully, it will be over sooner."

As we walk out the door, she calls out to her mom who was busy getting ready for work. It didn't take much longer after that for Quinn to tell me what had caused the worry in her eyes.

"So, I texted you yesterday but you never texted back. I assume you went to bed early?"

I unlocked the doors and went to sit in the driver's seat. Realization dawned on me that while shutting off my phone had successfully prevented Finn from contacting me, it had caused Quinn to not hear from me as well.

"I did actually, but I turned my phone off and I still haven't turned it back on which is why I never answered. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry or anything."

"I wasn't exactly worried." She told me, though the tone of her voice made me believe that was a lie. I couldn't help but think how cute she was being. "You just usually text right back and don't ever seem to turn your phone off."

She was right about that. Since I've never had that many people to text, I tend to make it so that the people that text me now get a response ASAP. It was good manners really. I hardly ever turn my phone off at night since it's usually my alarm. This morning however, I used my old radio instead.

"Yeah, uhm … Finn came over last night. It got pretty heated and afterwards I thought it best to turn my phone off, just in case he started calling."

"I'm guessing it wasn't a very pleasant visit."

That was an understatement.

"You guess right. First he made this speech about us being able to make it work, whether he was in New York with me or not. He told me to trust that and him, but I don't have that trust anymore. After I told him that, he seemed to realize that I didn't just want to call of the wedding, but actually put an end to our relationship. This made him sad at first but then he got angry, he even dragged you into it, not that that was entirely unsurprising. I told him in no uncertain terms that this was about me and him and that things hadn't been right for a while now. He left after that but not before telling me to think about what I was giving up. That of course made me even more sad, since he really should know that I wouldn't have done this without thinking it through. After that emotional rollercoaster, I turned off my phone and went downstairs to tell my dads. This led to even more emotions which caused me to turn in earlier than I usually do."

My explanation had lasted long enough for me to be pulling up to the school. We were pretty early, seeing how I had left early to begin with. Luckily this would give me plenty of time to discuss some other matters with Quinn.

"I'm sorry Rach, I know that must have been hard. Unfortunately, I'm not that surprised he behaved that way. He doesn't take rejection well."

"I know. That's why I have thought out exactly what needs to be done in order to get him to realize we're done."

Quinn looked at me quizzically, wondering what it was I had up my sleeve. I take of the chain around my neck and hand it over to the blonde.

"Your engagement ring?" She asks.

"I'll be returning it the moment I run into Finn. I'm hoping this will make him realize that I'm completely serious about this. Combined with the song I'll be singing for him in Glee, he won't have a choice but to except that we're over."

She looks over to me with a small smile, a certain shyness in her eyes. "It's really over, huh?" She asks.

I return her smile, sensing the hidden meaning behind it and my anticipation for our evening together increases.

"It really is. It's been a long time coming really. Part of me regrets not telling him sooner, at least then I didn't have to break his heart on his birthday and maybe he would've accepted my friendship request so that I could at least attend his birthday party."

"You're not going to his party?" She asks me.

I really had gotten good in predicting Quinn's reactions, because I had expected the conversation to lead this way. Now was the perfect moment to suggest our evening could be spend together.

"No, I decided not to. He would most likely take it as hope to get back together and I don't want that. I really don't want to be having the same conversation all over again. I was actually hoping you might want to come over, we can make it a girls' night in. Unless you were planning to go of course, I don't want to stand in the way of your friendship with Finn …"

"My friendship with Finn hasn't been very friendly lately. I was actually only planning to go to keep you company and make sure that things don't get out of hand. Girls' night in sounds absolutely perfect!"

Statements like those, really make me believe that she's being completely genuine. Surely if she was only being my friend because she felt guilty, she'd shown her true colors by now. I should really stop doubting her and just accept her friendship is true and she's really my friend.

"Awesome! My dads are out 'till late, so we can order in and watch whatever we want and talk about anything we feel like. It's gonna be so much fun!" I tell her, unable to hide my excitement. The day was looking a lot better now that I had something to look forward to. I had contemplated mentioning what I would want to talk about, but it seemed better to just play it by ear. I wouldn't want her to get her hopes up too much, because although it was good news, it came with its down sides.

"Well, be better get inside. I have a ring to return and you have a test to review for." I tell her, still smiling bright. She just chuckles as she makes her way out of the car and into the building.

During the length of any of my relationships I try to get accustomed to their habits. That way I easily know where to find them and even guess which mood they'll be in. That's how I know that in about five minutes Finn will be coming out of the men's room and he'll be rather satisfied. It's not a fact I enjoy knowing so much, I assure you, but there are certain advantages in knowing a man's stool. For me right now, that advantage will be that it's more probable that Finn can hold his temper thus avoiding a big break up scene in front of the entire school population. Knowing Finn as well as I do, he wouldn't be able to deal with the embarrassment and might do something stupid. Fingers crossed!

"Hi Finn." I greet him as I'm walking towards him. He smiles at me, obviously happy to see me. As I give him a look, trying to say 'I'm sorry I hurt you and unfortunately I'm not done since you seem to be unable to accept that we are', his smile turns into a frown.

"Hey Rach, I'm glad you're here. I was up all night thinking and I wanted to tell you that …"

Before he could go off in another attempt at winning me back, I grab his hand and place my ring in the middle of it. As expected, that gesture made him stop talking.

"I thought it would be best if I returned this as soon as possible. I would also like to inform you that I won't be attending your party tonight. I am really sorry that I hurt you, but this is the last apology you'll hear from me in regards to our break up. I know you don't want to end this, but nothing you do or say now is going to change the way I feel. I need you to understand that. The sooner you do, the better chance we have of still being friends."

He looks at me with his sad puppy dog face, unable to respond. Looks like there will be no public break up, which is more than fine with me. It seems things might turn out for the better after all.

"I'll see you in Glee."

After that I walk away. Class will start in just a few minutes, so I know he won't come chasing after me. Phase 1 is now complete.

The next few classes I find myself being able to focus so much better than every other class in the past week. Without that ring on my necklace, a weight seems to have been lifted. The happiness inside me keeps growing and for a second I'm thinking about not singing in Glee. It might cause the exact thing that I want to avoid, being that Finn gets upset and finds some new and public way of convincing me to stay with him. Luckily, I do have another number prepared with a message that's more 'even though our relationship is over, I wish you the best and I hope we can still be friends' rather than 'get it through your head, we're over'. With that in mind I make my way to the choir room, not knowing that there's not going to be any kind of singing today …

* * *

><p>There you finally have it, chapter 11. I actually wrote the first part two weeks ago because I wanted to update it on my birthday, but I didn't feel like it was enough. Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish it until today, hence the hold up. The next chapter though, was written several months ago. I just need to do a bit of editing so that it takes account the different things that have happened after I wrote it. I shouldn't take too long, definitely faster than this update!<p>

I hope you all liked the new chapter! If anybody has any ideas on what you think will happen, don't hesitate to let me know. Any suggestions, thoughts or request are also always welcome.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and alerted so far, I hope I'm keeping you entertained.

Any mistakes as always are my own. Should any of them bother you, just let me know. I'm always eager to learn and improve my English.

Until next time!

Lucy


	12. Two Simple Questions

_Previously: Rachel finally broke up with Finn on his birthday and as expected he wasn't too happy about it. He showed up at her house, trying to convince her to give them another chance. She tried to reason with him, but he ends up leaving, not being completely convinced. Rachel then makes a plan starting with returning his ring, hoping that was a clear sign to tell him that they were definitely over. Since this took him by surprise, Rachel can avoid a public break up scene in which she has to repeat herself again. She goes to class, thinking things might turn out right after all, until it's time for glee …_

Chapter 12: Two Simple Questions

Most of the kids from New Directions were sitting in the choir room. There was Tina and Mike, Blaine and Kurt, Mercedes and Sam, Puck, Quinn and Rachel. Finn was the last to enter, but unlike the others, he didn't take a seat. Instead he stood facing them, the gleam in his eyes indicating he was up to something. Nobody paid him any attention, they were talking amongst themselves since they assumed they had to wait for Mr. Schuester for class to start. When he calls out to Britney, a few of them finally become aware of the fact that he still hadn't taken a seat and their teacher was still a no show.

"Could you lock the door, Brittany?" He asks, just loud enough for her and those sitting next to her to hear. Brittany, as oblivious as ever, simply marches over to lock it. While the others would have probably asked questions, he knew that Britney would do as he asks before the others would notice it.

"What's going on Finn? Why did you ask Britt to lock the door while Mr. Schue isn't even here yet?" Mike asks, seemingly the only one to be paying the boy any attention.

"Yeah Finnept, what's your deal now? You know I don't like it when people take advantage of my girl." She states, finally catching up to what's happening around them. Before she had been trying to listen in on Rachel and Quinn's conversation. As usual Rachel was trying to figure out what song to sing, but Finn's name was mentioned quite a few times so she was guessing the song would probably be a statement on the status of their relationship, something she couldn't help but be curious about.

"Schuester's not coming, I'll be leading the class today." Finn announces, making everyone even more confused. It really had been easy to convince Schuester, just a few excuses on how he wanted to prove himself and he was sold.

"Finn, what's going on?" Rachel asks. She had been relieved about their exchange this morning, it could've gotten a lot worse. She couldn't help but think that whatever was going on now, would have something to do with their break-up. "Where's Mr. Schuester?"

Finn looks around the room. None of them seemed too worried about their teacher not being there. Brittany was whispering something in Santana's ear. By the looks and smirks on their faces, it seemed that the locked door was far from their minds. Mike and Tina were in the back with Tina resting her head on his shoulder. They looked at peace, though a little confused to what was going on around them. Puck and the others were just sitting in their usual seats, looking as uninterested as when Schuester would give them some speech.

Rachel was the only one looking at Finn. She was hoping beyond hope that this wouldn't be another ploy for him to get her back. She wanted them to be friends, she really did. But he needed to start being honest with himself and accept that things are over. Finn was looking back at her, since she was the last who spoke. It takes a while for him to answer, and during that time there seemed to be a lot of emotions crossing his face. There was confusion, which was the easiest for the brunette to recognize since he wore it so often whilst talking to her, but also a lot of anger. Eventually it settled into determination, which seemed to be what he was looking for in order to get started.

"You wanna know what's going on, Rachel?" He asks, the anger in his voice causing everyone to fully pay attention this time. "I'll tell you. These last few weeks have been hell for me. We were supposed to be getting married, but then the accident happened." He said, while waving his hand towards Quinn. "And you started spending more time with her and less with me, your fiancé! I get that you felt guilty, but what about me? Shouldn't I have gotten some attention from you? I've been trying so hard to figure myself out. So I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life, but then I got my rejection letter. I told myself at least I still have my girl, she'll help me get through this and she'll stand by my through anything just like I would for her." He paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. Really it was just to push on Rachel, so for once he could feel like she felt guilty for what she did to him.

"You know I actually got that letter a week ago? You were so busy with you classes and taking my ex-girlfriend to physical therapy that I never got around to telling you until my birthday. You got me this great present, so I really thought I was right about you and about us, that we could make it. But you go on and call of the wedding! Really, did I mean nothing to you Rachel? To break up with me on my birthday?"

The more he spoke, the louder his was getting. The other students had seen a fair share of his tantrums, but this one outdid them all. The brunette diva seemed to be really hurting by the words that were being thrown her way. Quinn, who was sitting beside Rachel and holding her hand, was getting angry too. If he put all of this together just so he could yell at Rachel and publicly humiliate her, there was not a single doubt left in her mind about their break-up being the best thing to ever happen.

"Back off, Finn!" Quinn says while getting up so she could get in his face. "Rachel has been the perfect girlfriend to you and you don't even see it. If you really think that she broke-up with you on your birthday because it would hurt more, you really are deaf, dumb and blind. She contemplated giving up New York to be with you, do you even understand that?" The other kids gasp at the sound of that, because whether they like it or not, they all knew that she was destined to be in New York. "All she ever wanted in her life was Broadway, and she damn well deserves it. But because you are so set on bringing her down and holding her back, she actually considered giving up on her dream. So before you go on bashing the only person that bent over backwards to see the best in you, you need to think really hard about what you're saying."

Finn's anger is reaching a peak it's never been at. Sam and Puck are exchanging looks, ready to jump in the moment things turn violent. They needed to be subtle about it though, because when he starts waving his oversized arms around, there's no telling what he might hit.

Rachel is sitting quietly in her chair with tears coming down and a thousand thoughts running through her head. The person she had once contemplated marrying was ripping her to pieces in front of their friends, for reasons that weren't even valid. Not the way he saw them at least. By the looks of things, that was the reason he had convinced Mr. Schuester to not attend this lesson. Quinn was right, she had thought about giving up so much of herself in order to be with him. He was always taking her for granted and couldn't see what it was doing to her. Luckily the blonde had been by her side these past few weeks which had given her the strength to face reality. The words Finn said had hurt, but at the same time they only convinced her even more that she was right in ending their relationship. At the same time, the blonde's words also convinced her of her sincerity. Here she was, defending her in front of the entire glee club, showing everyone how close they've become. Things sure have changed since freshman year …

She looks up to see the anger inside Finn has taken on new proportions, so she needs to step up and calm him down before things really get out of control. She gets up and puts her hand on Quinn's arm, a touch that seems electrifying but calming at the same time. She turns to face to small brunette and they have an unspoken agreement that she's ready to talk and say what needs to be said. Quinn moves slightly back, but remains close enough so she can act when she feels she needs to in order to protect her best friend. To anyone watching, their behavior is absolutely intriguing, especially when you know how far they've come.

"Finn, please look at me." She starts, gently reaching out to touch his arm. "I know things have been hard for you and I know my timing could have been better, but you should know that I didn't break things off on your birthday just to hurt you. We were going to announce the new date tonight, I couldn't go on pretending. I told you on Wednesday because it was the first time in a week that we were actually by ourselves and able to have a decent talk. I hated doing that to you, but I didn't think I had another option. I really thought you would give me a bit more credit." Hearing the diva stand up for herself after the beat down she had just gotten, surprised the bystanders more than it should. The only person that wasn't so surprised, was the same person that was specialized in beating her down and now took on the role of the person she could lean on most. Finn hadn't expected the words that came out of Rachel's mouth either. All he could do was stare at her, his mouth agape and a confused look on his face.

"And just so we're clear, the reason I've been spending so much time with Quinn, is not because of guilt. It might have started out that way, but that's far from what it is today." Quinn can't help but smile at that confession and finds it endearing that that's a point she feels she definitely needs to make.

"She's been incredible to me. She actually listens when I talk, she tries to see things from my point of view and she doesn't make me feel selfish or arrogant. She's defended you countless times, thinking that I'd be happier with you and therefor trying to fix what was broken. She has been the best friend I could have ever asked for and you really need to stop dragging her into what's going on between me and you."

"All you do is accuse me of not caring enough and not being there to help you. But you don't listen to me and you definitely don't confide in me. I've notice something was wrong during the past week, I even asked you about it but you always blew me off. I've wanted to tell you that graduating early was not possible for you, but you wouldn't have been able to hear it. Also, thinking you could get into a school like that, was really poor judgment on your part. You don't have any of the experience most kids do when they apply there. I wanted to tell you all this, but you would have just told me I wasn't being supportive enough. I know it sucks that you didn't get accepted to the school that became your dream school in the past month, but you know what, get over it!"

"Get over it? That's what you're telling me? I should just get over it? Every dream I have has been ripped away from me. I proposed because I knew that having you would make me a better man. I gave you time to think it over, but you still said yes. You telling me you wanted to marry me, was the happiest moment of my life. It made me believe that if I could have someone as you loving me, I could do anything. But then blondie here goes ahead and ruins our wedding and is taking you away from me a bit at a time."

"Everything around me is falling apart. The person I was supposed to be spending my time with, would rather spent it with the person that caused her a world of pain all through high school. You find out you're going to NYADA and the first person you tell is Kurt, my brother! I'm the person you would be living with, yet you tell my brother before me? And then I find out my dream of becoming an actor might not even become reality because the school I applied to rejected me. I thought if I could become an actor, I could inspire people. I'd earn a lot of money and do charity work and make people happy. But apparently they didn't like my audition tape. They said I lacked in emotions and didn't have enough experience." His voice had gotten a lot softer as he got to the ending, his sadness taking over from his anger.

Santana couldn't help roll her eyes in hearing big foot's reasoning about wanting to become an actor. She'd been keeping quiet throughout all the yelling, which was completely against her nature, but she decided it would be interesting to hear how things turned out. She was proud of how Q had stood up for the midget, she deserved someone who would stand up for her for a change. But then again, it seemed that she was rather capable of standing up for herself these days. It actually kind of turned her on, but she had already agreed to go somewhere private with Brittany after this sham of a meeting was over. She could tell Rachel had an answer ready for everything Finn was claiming, but she was running out of patience. Because of that she decides to finally getting out of her seat and speak up. Unfortunately, that would end up being the final straw for making all hell break loose …

"Listen up Frankenteen, I really don't care that whatever school you applied to was smart enough not to except you. And I really don't get why that small brain of yours thought it was a good idea to get us all in here so you could yell at Rachel and blame Q for things that are obviously not her fault. I suggest you go cry your ugly tears in a closet somewhere, but not the one around the corner 'cause that one's taken." She adds with a wink a Brittany. "And let us all go on with our lives, preferably away from you and your drama."

The others didn't say anything but agreed to everything she said and started moving towards the door with Santana in the lead.

"Sit down." Finn says, his voice calm in comparison to his last speech, which was the only reason Santana bothered to look up.

"I don't take orders from anyone, especially you. Just go cool off somewhere and stop bothering us with your childish behavior. We have better things to do than listen to you complain about how horrible your life is."

"I said sit down!" He yelled this time. Hearing a click and the gasp coming from Rachel, Santana again turned her head and was shocked silent with what she saw. Finn was holding what looked very much like a real gun and directing it straight at Rachel. The brunette just stood there, unable to move or even breathe. Quinn moved closer to her and got a hold of her hand.

"Finn, don't do this." The former cheerio said in the softest voice she could manage. She moved in between Rachel and the gun, her protective instincts completely taking over. "Just put away the gun and let's talk about this."

Finn sniggers and gives the blonde a cold look that seemed to be his version of her HBIC stare. She wasn't easily intimidated, but in the current situation with a gun pointed at her and the person she holds most dear in her life, she know she had to be smart rather than impulsive.

"Everybody get back to your seats, now." He tells them, clearly not wanting to repeat himself again. "Except for you two, you can just stand there for a while."

The others cautiously moved back to their seats. Santana was the first to think smart and started sending out a text message to her mum, trying to hide her moving fingers from Finn's line of sight. She wasn't careful enough though, since Finn heard the ticking and reacted rather quickly for the brainless oaf they all thought he was.

"Put that away Santana, you don't want your best friend ending up in the hospital again, do you?"

Hearing the threat, Rachel suddenly snaps out of her shocked state and she starts to realize that this is really happening. She squeezes Quinn's hand which she was still holding and moves a little closer to her, for both their comfort.

Finn notices his former fiancé moving and is once again filled with anger and jealousy towards the blonde that was ruining his love life. His plan wasn't exactly going right, but he thought really hard about this and started to see another way to still get what he wanted. In the meantime, he needed to do something about those cell phones before one of them texted someone and then all of this would have been for nothing. Soon an idea formed in his head.

"Quinn, why don't you go around collecting everybody's phones? We wouldn't want anyone interrupting our meeting, would we?" Finn suggest, though it clearly wasn't up for debate. The tone of his voice indicated that he thinks he's winning. Quinn doesn't want to leave Rachel's side, so she stubbornly holds her ground and tries to talk to him again. Defying the exact thing she had told herself she shouldn't do: be impulsive instead of smart.

"Listen Finn, I don't know what you think you're doing, but if you have any intention of having some sort of relationship with Rachel after this or even just graduate from this school, you need to stop. Someone's gonna come here sooner or later and they'll …"

*smack*

The entire room gasps this time, seeing Quinn take a smack to her face and falling down from the impact. Santana and Puck try to get to her, but Brittany and Sam respectively hold them back, not wanting to get someone else hurt. Rachel immediately goes after her, but before she can reach for her hand, a strong pull prevents her from getting any closer. Finn drags her off to the piano and orders her to sit on the bench. She quietly does as she is told, fear overcoming her and realizing that the guy standing in front of her is far from the man she once thought she could spend the rest of her life with.

He moves to stand over Quinn, towering over her as he roars "Get up" while pushing her with his foot. Quinn struggles to get up, since she landed on her bad arm and gets up while supporting her weight on her good arm.

"Now do as you're told, unless you want your new bff to be the receiver of the next hit."

Realizing he said the perfect thing in order for Quinn to do what he wants her to do, he smirks to himself as the former cheerleader walks over to her friends to collect their phones in the hat they usually pick names out off. They all reach in to put away their phones since Finn is eyeing them all like a hawk. Puck manages to only pretend to drop his while hiding it away in his sleeve without anyone but Q noticing. As soon as they've all handed over their phones, he looks over at Rachel and finds some doubts creeping in at the sight of her. She looks completely broken and scared, leaning against the piano with a devastating look on her face. He can't help but think how beautiful she is, even now, and how proud he will be when he can call her his wife. After all, that is how he plans for this to end, with her agreeing to be his wife again. At that thought, Quinn's words come back to him, saying he doesn't stand a chance with her now. But what does she know? She's probably hung up on her herself and is just trying to create doubt in his mind so she could have his girl for herself. Finding possible truth in those thoughts, he directs his full attention to Quinn and decides to test his theory.

"How about we play a little game?" He announces while taking the hat from Quinn in an overly dramatic notion and points her towards the wall where she goes to stand. "I ask someone a question and they have to answer honestly. When 5 questions get answered correctly, I'll let one of you go. However, when 5 answers are lies, I'll raise my hand again on the person that was last in answering wrong. Everybody understands?"

Having had enough of whatever he game he was playing, Puck protests and tries to talk some sense into the boy he once considered his best friend.

"Come on man, what are you trying to prove? How will you even know what are lies and what's the truth? Just end this, before things get out of hand. You haven't used that gun yet, you can still get out of this without any severe punishment. Trust me man, you don't wanna do this. If the cops find out, you'll be sent to juvie and take it from me, that's not a place you want to be at. Are you willing to risk being sent there because you couldn't handle losing your girl?"

Finn let's Puck speak, he was after all his best friend for years and he's gotten it right before. He isn't really happy about his speech though. He does have a point about the truth thing, but really, there's only two questions he wants to ask and he'll know whether the answers are lies or not.

"Okay, how about this: I'll ask two questions. If they are answered truthfully, and I'll know in these cases, I'll let everybody go. If they're not, everybody can leave except for Rachel. What do you think Quinn, does that sound fair?"

She looks at him with defiance in her eyes but refuses to say a word, knowing that he wants a reaction from her. He's not too put off by her lack of answering though, since he's really more interested to know how she'll handle his questions.

"Quinn, first question. Do you in any way have feelings for the girl that I'm engaged to that are more than just good friends?" He realizes he's using present tense, but really it's just a matter of time before they're engaged again, as far as he is concerned.

The blonde in question hadn't expected that question to be thrown her way and does not know how to answer. It's clear Finn is convinced she has feelings for Rachel and if he's so convinced, maybe that means that he actually has proof. If that's the case, he'll know she's lying which according to his threat would have him keeping Rachel while the rest of them leave. There was no way she'd let that happen, so she decided to tell the truth. Even if he was bluffing, he was convinced with what the honest answer would be and she would prefer not being smacked to the ground again. Figuring out what her confession would mean for her and Rachel was something they'd hopefully figure out after this nightmare was over.

"We're waiting." Finn says in singsong voice that makes him sound like a complete madman, causing her skin to crawl. She looks over at Rachel who seems to be curious about what her answer would be and clears her throat to speak.

"While you're in fact not engaged to anyone right now, I'm assuming you're referring to Rachel. And in that case my answer is yes, I have romantic feelings towards Rachel."

While the first part of her answer pissed him off to no end, he hadn't really expected her to be so forthcoming and decided to let it go for now in order to drive his point home. He felt rather good about himself, knowing he had everyone convinced. This was finally coming together, he just needed to get his next question right for him to kill two birds with one stone.

"Correct answer." He states, giving himself a pat on the back for the shocked faces starring at them from the side. "Question two, this one is for you babe." He says, turning towards the piano where he finds Rachel starring at Quinn, not giving him any indication that she's listening. He walks over and gets close enough to block her sight of Quinn so she doesn't have a choice but to look up at him. The fact that she was looking at Quinn so intently had him a bit worried, but he felt confident about her feelings for him and easily asked the question he also knew the answer to.

"Do you love me?"

When the answer doesn't come right away, he starts to doubt himself. He had it all worked out perfectly: the prop gun, the hidden cameras, the right emotions at the right time. He was giving the performance of his life. But now seeing the woman that he thought would be his wife failing to answer such a simple question, one that would've been answered positively in the past, made him doubt the entire plan. His intention was to prove to everyone that Quinn was in love with Rachel so that she'd come back to him and not let her take advantage of her guilt anymore. Since he needed to prove his acting skills, he had decided to create a scenario in which Quinn would be forced to tell the truth. Having the other club members here, would ensure that everyone stood by him when they realized what Quinn's intentions really were.

But something had gone wrong. He had gotten the answer out of Quinn that he had hoped he would. Part of him had wanted to throw the fact that he had found her diary in her face, but an open declaration would do just fine. He had never considered the possibility of Rachel not answering his question how he expected. A light when on in his head when he realized that it was probably because of the gun he was holding.

"Rachel, honey, I'm just acting." He starts waving the gun in his hand, trying to show that it was just made out of plastic. "The guys from my audition wanted me to make a little film in which I showed off my emotions. They suggested to create a situation in which I would have everyone convinced, using my acting skills. I didn't mean anything I said, it was just an act. I just wanted to proof to you that Quinn wants more from you than you think. She's using you Rach, she's using the guilt you feel for her crashing her car to try to steal you away from me. I did this for you, so you could see that."

"So you're saying this was all some kind of game? You just wanted to put Q on the spot and use us as witnesses or something." Again Santana was the one to speak for everybody, anger emanating from her voice. She walks over towards Finn with both Sam and Puck at her side who both seemed just as angry at the whole thing.

"Woow guys, back off. It wasn't just a game, it was an assignment. You all were clearly convinced so that proves that I am acting material. I ran it by Schuester, asked if I could use this lesson for my scenario."

"You idiot, you had us all believing you were gonna kill us. That doesn't proof you're a good actor, it proves you're crazy. You actually hit Quinn, right in the face. How could you do that?"

"She deserved it." He started, but before he could answer a small but powerful hand smacked across his face.

"How dare you!" Rachel said, using a tone of voice that had everybody backing away. "You pointed a gun to my face. I thought I was gonna die." With each sentence she spoke, she punched Finn against his chest. It was probably hurting her more, but it felt good to accompany her words with those gestures. Tears were starting to fall from her eyes, but it didn't make the tone of her voice sound any less scary.

"You hit Quinn who has done absolutely nothing wrong. Then you force her to admit something, she wasn't ready to admit just like you did with Santana. You are a coward, Finn Hudson! You are a terrible excuse for a human being. I cannot believe I ever even considered being your wife!" She smacks him again in his face, trying to get as much strength as she possibly could and then walks over to Quinn.

Finn is left standing with his back against the wall. Rachel had more strength than he thought and her punches had made him back up until the wall stopped him. He was shocked at the words that had just been thrown his way. Surely she could see that this was all in her best interest. Maybe pointing the gun at Rachel and slapping Quinn had been a bit much, but he had been in character. As he was getting free of the shock, he started to move to where Rachel had gone but a crowd of people surrounding him prevented him from moving. Just before Puck could throw the first punch, Rachel calls out and asks them not to hit him.

"Violence isn't gonna help, I'll call the police and his mother. Unless he tries to overpower you, there's no reason to damage your fists on his face. I'll go get the principal and Mr. Schue."

Rachel and Quinn leave, leaving the rest of the Glee club to hopefully do as she asked. It's hard for the people surrounding Finn to not punch him in the face, but Rachel was right and she was the one the most hurt so they all agreed to abide by her wishes out of respect. On their way to the principal's office, Quinn couldn't help but speak the thoughts she's been having.

"Rachel, about what I said …" She starts with a voice that sounds incredibly shy, especially for someone like Quinn Fabray.

"We'll talk later, first we have to make sure that ass hole gets out of our lives for good."

The former cheerleader nods her agreement but a small flash of disappointment flashes by on her face. Rachel, being as receptive as she is, notices the look and decides to reassure the girl of something she had started to realize not too long ago.

"Don't worry," She says, taking a hold of her hand. "I promise you'll like what I have to say." She sends a wink towards the blonde who's heart was racing like never before. The biggest smile appears on her face and when Rachel sees the happiness radiating off of the girl that was taking over her heart, she makes the decision to never stop making that smile appear.

* * *

><p>So there you have it, another update within two weeks of the last! The next one might not be so fast, but I'll try my best. I'll probably update my other story first, since it's been kind of neglected.<p>

I hope you liked the chapter. If you can believe it, I actually wrote it over a year ago … I'm glad I was finally able to use it in the story.

Please let me know what you think! Were you as convinced this was real as the glee kids? What do you think will happen to Finn?

Next chapter should be the girls night in :-D. I'm sure plenty of you have some thoughts on what you might want for them to say or do, so don't hesitate letting me know ;-).

Until next time!

Lucy


	13. Headed for Change

_Previously on Touch of Your Hand: _

_Rachel broke up with Finn and tried her very best to make it clear that they are completely over. She managed to avoid a big scene in front of the entire school but couldn't escape the confrontation during glee club rehearsal. Finn surprised everyone when he started yelling at Rachel for all the hurt she supposedly caused him. After Quinn defending her and Santana speaking for all of them by saying that she had enough of his crap, he pulled out a gun and ordered them back to their seats. After forcing Quinn to admit she has feelings for Rachel, he assumes he has won but worries when Rachel can't tell him she still loves him. Convinced it's because of his act and the fake gun he's holding, he reveals his true intentions: proving he is a good actor and convincing Rachel to come back to him because Quinn is using her. The gun was merely a prop used to force honesty. As no one agrees with his assumptions, they all get angry with him and try to make him understand that he has very much crossed a line. While Puck and the others keep Finn from going anywhere, Rachel and Quinn go to find the principal. On their way over, Rachel promises Quinn they would talk about what she was made to confess …_

Chapter 13: Life goes on ...

The Glee club members are sitting outside the principal's office. One by one, they had had to enter and answer the questions the police asked them. With the last of their group inside, they were all desperate to get out of there.

During their wait, none of them spoke, as they were ordered not to. Their minds however were very busy reflecting on all that happened and what would be next.

_Rachel_

I never expected things would turn out like this. The boy I fell for had shown signs of the strong and intelligent man he could become. I don't see that anymore … I never thought he'd be so consumed in his own dreams to become someone that would create the kind of situation he had. He hit Quinn, just hit her square in the face! He pointed a gun at mine! While the latter should probably be worse, I'll never forget how he hurt her. She had done nothing wrong! She stood by me and comforted me, something he only ever failed at. Sure, our past is rocky, but we've both grown up, said we were sorry and moved on. Even if he did feel threatened by her, that's no reason to use violence! We could've just had a grown up conversation about it. I get angry just thinking about it … Amidst all this mess however, there's one positive. Something that I've been denying for far too long. Something that Finn hadn't seen coming. Neither had I. I'm falling for Quinn Fabray.

_Santana_

I can't believe this is finally happening! Q actually admitted she's in love with the hobbit! I guess I really should just stick to calling her Rachel from now on … She outright said it! She was completely backed into a corner, but she still said it out loud! I knew she was hot for her and all, who could blame her. Those legs that go on for miles and those exotic features … They could keep me warm at night if had any need for it. But it's more than that for Quinn, she's actually in love … Who would've thought she'd have an easier time admitting it than me? Or well, it probably wasn't … I would've done the same for B if the roles had been different and Artie had lost his marbles or something. Still, it's a big thing for someone with the upbringing she's had. Or for anyone really. I hope they're ready for what comes next, 'cause it won't be easy. There's going to different schools and living in different cities next year, having different religions, families that might or might not approve … Not to mention whatever repercussions the whole Finn debacle will have. I gotta say though, I'll take Faberry over Finchel or Fuinn any day.

_Quinn _

I wonder what Rachel is going to tell me. She said I'd like it … But even if it would actually be that she reciprocates my feelings, it doesn't really change anything. Her ex fiancé just went crazy! There's still too much echo from her last relationship to start a new one. There's no way she's ready for that. Of course, if she really does like me back, we could work on leaving the past behind us together. There's still a lot of obstacles that need to be faced, after all, she's going to New York! Her acceptance letter to NYADA should be coming any day now … Would she want me to come with her? I have gotten into both NYU and Yale, so it is possible. Or would she understand that Yale is more for me? Who am I kidding? There's no way she would keep me from going to my dream school, she knows me well enough for that. But it's really hard starting a relationship from a distance. Especially when it's two people that are used to seeing each other every day. She has this faraway look at the moment, like she's thinking something deep and important. She's smiling though, so it must be good … I hope we get to talk soon.

_Puck_

This is the weirdest thing ever! Finn actually thought he could get his girl back like this? Well, it's Quinn's girl now. Hehe, good for her! Unfortunately for my ex bro, he played right into Q's hands. I guess I can sort of see where he's coming from, with Rach and Q hanging out so much. But instead of being threatened by Q actually treading his former girl right, he should've been doing that himself. All he could see was that he didn't get more time with his girlfriend, while if he had paid attention, he would've seen that said girlfriend was a lot happier lately. Just from the interactions between those two girls, you can tell they've got something special. I hadn't realized how special until Q said it, but at the same time, it's not a surprise. It's not hard to see how much they care for one another. I just hope we can all get past this. I hope Q and Rach can clear the air between them, they obviously have some things they need to talk about. I hope Finn gets the help he needs, because pointing fake guns and hitting girls is way off, even in my book.

When Tina finally exits the room, she's followed by the principal and the police officers that are in charge of the investigations.

"Thank you all for your cooperation! I'm sure this has been a long day for all of you, you're now free to leave and get some rest. However, keep in mind that we might still contact you for further information regarding the case." The female police officers says.

"What's going to happen to Finn?"

To everyone's surprise, including her own, it was Quinn that asked the question. She deemed it to be out of guilt for her part in the way he had lost his way. Immediately, Rachel stood on her side and closed her hand around one of hers. The connection helped. It didn't fix anything, but it helped.

This time the male police officer spoke, addressing them all after briefly keeping eye contact with the blonde.

"Finn will be taken into custody. It's illegal to bring a gun to school. Even if said gun is fake. We will review all your statements and his case will be brought before a judge. Depending on the nature of his trial, your testimonies might be required but it's too soon to be sure."

After that statement, everyone started gathering their bags, eager to walk out of the school building.

"Quinn, I know we had plans tonight but seeing how it's late and my dads are here, would it be okay if we rescheduled?" Rachel asks, slightly disappointed but mostly tired.

"Of course Rach, you can go home with your dads. We'll find another moment for our talk." Quinn was eager to hear what her best friend has to say, but she knew it would be better that they both went home to get some rest right now.

"Good. Would tomorrow at 2 work for you? The house won't be empty, but we can relax up in my room and when my dads leave around 6, we can have the evening we would've had today."

Quinn smiles, happy to hear that it'll only be a day later than planned. Often enough, when things get postponed once, they don't ever seem to end up happening.

"That sounds great! I'll be there at two!"

Just then Leroy and Hiram find their daughter after talking to some of the other parents that were still around.

"Hi Quinn!" Leroy greets his daughter's best friend. They sure had come a long way from the name calling and slushy facials. "Rachel honey, you ready to go?"

She turns to her dads and smiles.

"Sure daddy, I'm in desperate need for some sleep. Although I might run some scales first, being quiet for almost 2 hours probably wasn't very good for my voice." She tells them, not showing any distress about the reason she's had to be quiet for so long. The three people beside her knew she was putting up a brave face, but they all seemed to agree that she deserved some denial at the moment. "I'll see you tomorrow Quinn!"

"Bye Rach!" She tells her, giving her a smile and a little wave. She can sense some dread and sadness creeping in already from not having her favorite person around. Luckily her mum was there. She wrapped her daughter in a sideway hug as they both left the school grounds.

The next day Rachel woke up after a dreamless night. She had only had a few hours of sleep, which could explain why she felt restless and tame. Of course the incident in the choir room the day prior could have plenty to do with that. She didn't want to dwell on that, anxious that it would ruin the rest of the day. Instead, she started her morning routine, or her version of it when she didn't feel very energized.

After breakfast she realized she needed to keep herself occupied until Quinn came over. Only, she couldn't seem to find anything interesting enough to do. Singing didn't feel right, since she didn't want to strain her voice after an inefficient amount of sleep. She could study, but the thought of school on Monday only got her thinking about everything that happened yesterday. She had thought about doing some shopping. After all, summer was coming and New York wasn't too far away so some new wardrobes would be perfect. Ideally though, she should have someone with her to help her. While she strongly believed there was nothing wrong with her animal sweaters, she did feel like she needed a change with all the other changes happening in her life. And just like that, she knew how she wanted to spend her time. She sends a quick text to Quinn, asking if she's up yet and when she gets a reply she heads outside and to her car.

When she pulls up at the Fabray mansion, she feels a lot better than she did when she woke up. Just being near Quinn seemed to have an effect on her. After Judy let's her in and tells her to go on up, she quietly approaches the former cheerleader's room. Hearing music from inside, she can't help but smile at the thought of Quinn being led by music. When knocking doesn't seem to be heard through the noise, she softly opens the door. What she sees upon entering is a combination of the funniest, sexiest and craziest thing she's ever seen. Quinn is dressed in a loose shirt and what's either boy shorts or a very short pair of shorts that even she would hesitate to wear. Her hair is messy, her eyes are closed and she's wearing a childish grin, indicating how lost she is in the music. In her hand she's got a bottle of deodorant which she's slamming against as if it were a guitar, much like the instrumental part of the song that's playing. As the chorus starts up again, she uses it as a microphone and sings along.

_Well, so 1,2,3, take my hand and come with me_  
><em>because you look so fine<em>  
><em>and I really wanna make you mine.<em>

_I say you look so fine_  
><em>that I really wanna make you mine.<em>

_Oh, 4,5,6 c'mon and get your kicks_  
><em>now you don't need that money<em>  
><em>with a face like that, do ya.<em>

_Big black boots,_  
><em>long brown hair,<em>  
><em>she's so sweet with her …<em>

As she's turning and giving her all, she opens her eyes and looks into her favorite brown ones. Taken by surprise, she drops the deodorant and quickly runs over to her music station to turn it down.

"Rachel. Uhm, hi." She says, very much embarrassed. When she dances and sings like that, she just let's herself go. It's often helped when she needed to clear her mind or just wanted to be in her zone for a while.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asks, a blush now appearing on her cheeks.

"A couple of minutes I think. It's hard to tell, I was very much enthralled with your performance." Rachel tells her, full of confidence and joy. The show she just witnessed, was one of pure joy and freedom.

"Yeah, uhm, that wasn't really meant to have an audience." She can't seem to look back into those big brown eyes. After all, it really wasn't meant to have an audience, let alone the person she had in mind when singing 'Are you gonna be my girl'.

"I'm sorry to turn up unannounced, but there really isn't any reason to be embarrassed. The way you were singing and moving your body, it was beautiful! It was clear that you completely felt the song and were able to just be in it. Which explains why you didn't hear the doorbell or heard me knocking."

"Right, yeah, sorry … I guess I was a bit too into the song to notice. Why are you here though? I thought I was coming over later?" She was hoping a change of subject would take her mind of the song and the possible meaning of it. If the brunette knew the song and the lyrics to it, she didn't let anything on.

"Well, I was feeling pretty restless before so I felt the need to do something before you came over. I haven't gone shopping in a while and since I want a bit of a change in my wardrobe, I figured you're the perfect person to tag along. Of course, if you'd rather sing and dance your heart out, I don't want to stand in the way of that. I know how much I enjoy letting go every once in a while, so I don't want to interrupt your flow." She explains, much to Quinn's amusement.

"Well, since my flow as you put it has been interrupted, I guess I could come shopping with you."

"Really?" Rachel asks, already prepared for a letdown.

"Of course! Just let me grab my bag and we'll be on our way. The shopping mall good for you?" Quinn asks, already gathering her stuff. She takes off her comfy cloths for a more stylish outfit that would be more appropriate for when going outside. Being used to changing in front of girls all the time, she only realizes she's half naked in front of Rachel when it's already too late. Trying to avoid awkwardness, she just continues on like nothing is the matter.

Rachel on the other hand is a bit flushed from seeing the girl change in front of her. Sure, they've had PE together so she had witnessed her changing before. However, before she hadn't noticed how strong her arms looked or how well her curves were defined. In all her knowledge of the beauty that is Quinn Fabray, she once again finds herself entranced by another layer of that beauty.

"Rachel?" Quinn asks, having an idea to why the brunette hadn't answered but unwilling to linger on it for various reasons. "Will the mall do? Or do you want to go into town?"

The sound of the blonde's voice takes the flustered girl away from her thoughts and back to the conversation. The last thought remaining was how she was supposed to survive a morning of trying on clothes when she can't erase the image of her without clothes from her mind.

"Yeah, uhm, the mall is fine. I don't really go there very often, I usually get my clothes from a small boutique on the other side of town." She answers, swallowing her embarrassment and choosing to pretend she doesn't have half naked images of Quinn still roaming her mind.

Laughing on the inside, Quinn decides not to tease the girl since she's already so flustered. She does take note of it and considers she might be able to use it to her advantage at a later time.

"Let's go then diva, let's go get you a wardrobe worthy of New York."

As expected, Quinn felt completely in her element at the mall and guided Rachel to all the stores she thought would fit her. The brunette was quite surprised with how well Quinn seemed to know where to go and what to try on. It almost seemed like she was prepared. After leaving the seconds store, now 5 bags in their hands, Rachel lets the curiosity get the best of her.

"Quinn, may I ask you something?"

The blonde, unaware of Rachel's musings, expects the question to be on another topic entirely. She takes a deep breath, guides them over to sit on a bench and tells Rachel to go ahead and ask.

"Did you often think about taking me shopping?" When the response doesn't come right away, the brunette decides to elaborate and explain how she got to that question. "I mean, I know you were never a big fan of the way I dress, but you seem awfully sure on where to go and what to buy. It's almost as if you planned it, which is impossible because this was a spring of the moment kind of thing."

Snapping out of her thoughts on gathering the courage to open up about her feelings, she feels both relieved and disappointed to hear that it's nowhere near about that. Or maybe a little, but not obviously so.

"Well, uhm, I have this thing I sometimes do where I make up scenarios in my mind. I guess I thought about taking you shopping once, so I kind of when over all the stores and types of clothing in my mind already. That's probably why it's so easy for me." She answers, completely truthful and open. She didn't expect to share this with the diva, but something about her just makes her easy to trust and open up to. Along with her knowing how she feels, it just seemed to come naturally.

"I'm also just a pretty big fan of shopping. After wearing the same outfit for years at school, it felt really good to expand my wardrobe and I found myself very much enjoying shopping."

Satisfied with the answer, Rachel smiles over at Quinn. She herself plays scenarios in her mind at times as well. She is an actress after all. Part of her enjoys the moments that hadn't played in her mind already more though, especially when they showed how much Quinn knew her and cared about her. Part of her wanted to ask more about those scenarios, but she had a feeling what direction that might take them and didn't feel like the mall would be the right place for it. So she pulls Quinn upright and tells her to take her to the next store while asking if she could help her with her make up as well.

Two hours later, the girls have about 15 shopping bags, filled with more little shopping bags, surrounding them. They covered party clothes, regular clothes, relaxing clothes, sports, make up and accessories and jewelry.

"So, is this about everything you think you need? I mean, there are stores in New York as well so if there's anything you forgot, you can just get it there. I trust you know which clothes to wear and which to never touch again." She says teasingly, feeling quite happy with the work she's done.

Rachel looks over at Quinn with a pout.

"I have always known how to dress Quinn. I just realized that while I've enjoyed my style the past few years, it's common to make a few changes when starting a new phase in life. But yes, I think this should be plenty for now."

Quinn just smiles and nods her head.

"How about I take a few bags to the car so that we don't drown in them anymore and then we find somewhere to eat, because I am starving! During lunch we can go over anything you think you might still need." She suggests, knowing well enough not to argue with Rachel about her previous clothing style.

"Okay, that sounds like a great idea. I'll go find us a place to eat and I'll text you when I've found us a seat."

With that, the blonde grabs as many bags as she can and heads over to the exit. She's really happy the diva showed up at her door that morning, it was nice to feel like carefree teenagers for a little while.

Rachel at the same time was feeling excited. There were a few things left she wanted to buy, but she thought it would be best that the blonde wasn't around to see her try it on. Sure, she had been a bit embarrassed before when watching Quinn change and part of her wanted Quinn to be in a similar situation just to even the score. But another part of her wanted to get something special, something she had on in a certain scenario that has been playing through her mind lately. It was way, way too soon for it to actually become reality, but part of her wanted to be prepared if that day actually comes and if it does, she wanted to surprise Quinn with what she was buying. After hiding her newest shopping bag in her purse, she looks over at the list of restaurants close by and quickly finds one that serves vegan dishes as well. As soon as she take a seat, she texts Quinn to let her know where to find her.

As Quinn is putting all the bags in the car, she can't help but smile to herself. She had always wanted to take Rachel out shopping, even before they became any sort of friends. She just accepted the fact that they were too different and they shouldn't be hanging out together, exactly like her daddy had told her. Now here she was, putting Rachel's wardrobe in the trunk of her car.

For just a moment she forgot about everything else. There was no Finn-incident, no separate schools they were going to, separate towns they would be living in … There was just Quinn and Rachel and all the progress they had made and the friendship between them that had grown so strong. So much had happened since the almost wedding. She had been afraid to die at one point, she had even almost welcomed it. But then there was Rachel holding her hand and supporting her and caring for her. She can still recall the touch of her hand when she first woke up. She hadn't known it was Rachel at first, but she had hoped it.

Still lost in thought she made her way back inside the shopping mall, headed to the little restaurant Rachel had chosen. Today was a good day. Compared to yesterday, most days would be good days. But still, today was a really good day. She just hoped that once they went over to Rachel's and started their talk, she would still feel the same way.

"Hey Rach. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long." Quinn cheerfully says as she takes a seat next to the person she owes so much to.

"Not at all. I just ordered our usual drinks and I told the waitress to bring over a menu so we could choose. I do hope you'll find something you like, if not, we can always go somewhere else."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, I've tried some of your fathers vegan dishes and they were quite good. I doubt this will be the only time we eat out together so I might as well try some of the things that they serve at the restaurants you prefer." She reassures Rachel, happy to adjust to her needs. For someone who prefers to be in control, she's aware of how compliant she is around Rachel and she doesn't mind at all.

Rachel can't hide the joy she feels when she hears Quinn will be wanting to eat out with her more often. Whether she means it as a part of dates they might go on or when visiting each other next year doesn't matter. She just happy to hear she's willing to consider her dietary preferences.

"Thanks Quinn, I'm glad to hear that."

Just then the waiter shows up with their drinks and hands them both a menu. It doesn't take long for either of them to decide. Before long they are both enjoying their meals and chatting happily in between bites.

"So that's why you didn't want the purple pants? Because they remind you of pirates?" Quinn asks in between laughs.

"I can't help it okay, I've always been irrationally scared of them. I must have seen some movie when I was a kid that had a pirate in it that scared me and that wore purple pants or something." She explains, unable to keep her laughs in as well. "We all have things we're afraid of that don't exactly make sense."

Quinn pauses at that statement and wonders what she is afraid of. She's a bit scared of Sue Sylvester, but anyone with common sense does. She used to be afraid of displeasing her father, but she's luckily gotten over that. Her worst fear now though, would be losing Rachel. It doesn't feel right to share this with the brunette however, since it would spoil their relaxed mood. Instead she admits to something she's afraid of, which is rationally a lot harder to explain than pirates.

"I'm scared of butterflies."

Rachel looks up at that and for a seconds doesn't know whether to believe her or not.

"I don't know why, my mum said that's always been the case. Even when I was baby I would start to cry when a butterfly came near me."

The brunette smiles from hearing Quinn admit something so personal about herself so easily and manages to keep herself from laughing. She herself didn't want to buy a pair of pants because she's scared of pirates, she shouldn't be mocking Quinn. Of course, pirates are meant to be scary and intimidating while butterflies are just pretty and small. Thinking it over, a certain memory comes back to the front and makes a lot more sense now.

"Is that why the only slushy you ever threw at me was when I was wearing my sweater with all the butterflies on them? You seemed so much more easily agitated that day. While it's extremely anti-feministic of me, I had assumed it was that time of the month for you."

Quinn snorts at the question. She remembers that day very well, every time Rachel came near her, she would go even more out of her way to embarrass and insult her. She had regretted the slushy the second she threw it even though she was happy not to have to look at the butterflies anymore, but it had already been too late. She's extremely grateful that Rachel seemed so okay with it now, mentioning it casually and without resentment.

"Yes well, that's the thing about irrational fears you know … They don't make much sense. It didn't help that I was already crushing on you big time but was completely in denial about it and Santana kept making all these comments about you. That slushy was … inevitable. This might sound weird though, but after throwing that slushy, I started to accept you more and opened my eyes to the possibility of us being friends."

"Well, then I guess I don't really mind that the sweater was ruined. A small sacrifice to make for us finally becoming best friends." She smiled at the girl sitting across from her and she wondered whether best friend was still the correct description for her. That thought reminded her of the promise she had made so she figured now was as good a time as any to suggest returning home. "That being said, I promised you we would talk about what you, uhm, said yesterday. So maybe, we should head back to my place. My dads will probably want to see every piece of clothing we bought, but after that we'll have the house to ourselves and we'll be able to talk."

The blonde smiles shyly and agrees to head back to Berry's. After a short argument on who should pay the bill (Quinn won after stating that she wanted to thank Rachel for trusting her judgment and also for the guilt she felt about the slushy), they grabbed the remaining bags and headed back to the car all the while both hoping that they would still be able to do this after their talk.

* * *

><p>Chapter 13, finally ...<p>

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and before that! I really appreciate it :D. I'm glad most of you liked what I did last time, as I said, I had had that chapter ready for a while and was glad to finally be able to use it.

Finn will be dealt with, I'm not sure how yet exactly so if you have any preferences, don't hesitate in letting me know ;-). One thing is sure, he won't be standing in the way of their relationship much longer!

Next chapter will be the girls finally putting their feelings on the table. Will there be tears? Will there be smooching? Let me know what you think if you want to :-).

Until next time!

Lucy


	14. The Talk

_Previously_

After the Finn ordeal, everybody's minds are on what Quinn was made to confess and how Finn seems to have lost his mind. With all the craziness going on, Rachel suggests moving their talk to the afternoon of the next day since her dads won't be home in the evening. In the morning however, Rachel feels restless and heads over to Quinn's early, hoping to go shopping together. After an adorable encounter with Quinn singing and dancing to The Jets, her hopes become reality and the girls head over to the mall where Quinn happily helps select a wardrobe ready for New York. As Quinn goes to put several bags in the car, Rachel buys one more item that she thinks might be useful at a later time and finds a place for them to eat. During lunch they relax and talk a bit about the past and some of their irrational fears. Rachel then suggests to head home as their talk is still very much needed and better suited at home.

Chapter 14 The Talk

Not too long after they got home, Rachel and Quinn found themselves sitting in the Berry's living room. As predicted, Hiram and Leroy had wanted them to show every item of clothing they had bought. Luckily, they both very much approved and so Quinn had been appointed as Rachel's personal styling coach from then on. While Rachel denied the need for one, she eventually relented by admitting that Quinn's fashion sense was indeed impeccable. At six, both men left for their business party, leaving the girls alone at last.

"So …" Rachel says after the few minutes of silence that passed after having said goodbye to her fathers. Both girls realize that now that they're alone, there's nothing left to keep them from their talk.

"So …" Quinn answers, not knowing what else to say.

"I guess we should talk, huh?" Rachel asks. She hadn't expected to feel this nervous. When she had told Quinn the day before that they could talk, she hadn't realized how big of a talk it would be. Or maybe she did, but she hadn't admitted it to herself yet. But now, there's no more room for denial …

"Yeah, I guess so …" Quinn answers.

Rachel goes to sit on the couch and taps the seat next to her, indicating for Quinn to join her.

"Yesterday was … scary." The brunette starts. "I never expected any of that to happen. I was so scared. I had no idea he was capable of all of that. Sure, he said that he was acting, but the rage in his eyes when he hit you … I doubt he'll ever be that good of an actor."

Before Quinn could react, the future Broadway star continues.

"I am so very sorry for how he treated you, Quinn! I can't believe he actually hit you and said all those things …" The emotions she was feeling at that moment were a lot stronger than she had anticipated. The tears that came with it, surprised her as much as they did Quinn.

"Heyhey, it's okay … It's not your fault, Rach!" She quickly engulfs Rachel in a hug and holds her as close as she can. "It's really sweet of you to get so angry for me, but you're the one that got hurt the most. And he's still making you feel guilty …"

"I don't care that he hurt me," she answers as she pulls back enough to look the blonde in the eye again. "He was just lashing out because I broke up with him … I can understand that on some level. I sort of expected that. But hitting you? Forcing you to admit something like that? I hate that he directed so much of his anger towards you!" Her voice goes softer towards the end of her passionate words as she wipes the few tears that were left.

Quinn felt grateful in that moment. She felt grateful for having found Rachel. She had a lot to be angry for in her life. Everything that happened with her parents, Beth, the car accident … But despite all of that, she knew how lucky she was; because she has someone who feels that strongly about defending her.

"About what I admitted …" She could tell that Rachel wanted to say something first, but she stopped her by putting a single finger on her lips.

"Let me speak first, please?"

Rachel nods and they both face each other on the couch. Quinn takes hold of Rachel's hands and their gazes lock. The entire world around them fades, as they both prepare for what they both knew was coming.

"Rachel, there is no excuse for how I've treated you in the past. I know you've forgiven me and that you want to leave it be, but I feel I need to say this. I'm not going to excuse myself by saying that I treated you so badly because I was in denial of my feelings for you. No reason is good enough for the hurt I've caused you. I want to promise you, right here and now, that I will never hurt you like that again! You are the single most beautiful person I've ever met and I'm sorry for ever making you question that beauty or doubt your strength and courage."

Rachel smiles a soft smile and stays silent, assuming there's more to be said before it's her turn.

"Now, about my confession … I just want you to know that I don't expect anything from you. You know how I feel about you and that's not going to change anytime soon. Right now, I just want to be your friend and I just want to support you in any way I can."

"Okay. Can I speak now?" Rachel asks, the cheerleader can't help but think about how adorable she sounds.

"Yes. You may speak now," she then answers with a smile.

"Thank you for your apology. You know I'm big on forgiving and I meant it when I said before that I had forgiven you. But I would be lying if I said there aren't still moments when I think back on the first few years of high school and how sad and alone I was. I forgave you before because I realized that you were just as sad and alone as I was. And I'm forgiving you now, because now I see the real you and I know how bad you feel. I also know that that's not you anymore."

"Quinn, during these past few months, you've been everything I always dreamed you'd be. You've supported me, you were honest with me and you were you. The real you. And because of all of this, I've started falling in love with you …"

This time when Quinn starts to interrupt, Rachel presses one of her fingers to her lips, silencing her just like she had been before.

"I know it's way too soon and there are a lot of things to consider. I'm also sorry it took me this long to realize. But I wanted you to know how I feel." After a brief pause, she continues. "You know, it's not supposed to be like this. I mean, we're teenagers. We're supposed fall in love every other week and make mistakes and be heartbroken and just … you know, be young and stupid. Part of me wishes I could just let go a little, just not think about everything so much and just, let it happen …"

"Let what happen?" Quinn asks, agreeing with everything that was said.

"This."

Rachel's eyes are locked with Quinn's. Their lips are moving closer and closer together. They both feel incredibly nervous, but they both want to just be young and stupid together for a little while.

When their lips first find each other, something inside them ignites. There's a heath, taking over their bodies. Soon enough, there's barely an inch separating their bodies. They cling to each other, like they're holding on for dear life. Tongues are battling for dominance and hands are roaming every touchable area. Just as Rachel is trying to get a good hold on Quinn's shirt, the blonde breaks the kiss and pulls away.

As they both try to catch their breaths, they let their thoughts take over again.

"Euhm …" Quinn starts, trying to find the reason why she stopped but not finding the words.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that …" Rachel states, pulling back a bit more so that there's now half a couch pillow separating them. "I euhm …"

Having found her reasoning, the blonde quickly waves away the apology and reaches out for Rachel's hand, turning their faces towards each other once more.

"That kiss was … amazing! I've been wanting to do that for so long. Really!" She says, trying to reassure the diva. "But it's too soon. I don't want you to kiss me because you want to be young and stupid. I don't want to worry about whether I'm your rebound. I don't want you to worry about me wanting to prove my sexuality. I don't think any of those things are true, but right now we don't know what we are to each other."

"Well, we're already friends, right? Really good friends?" The brunette suggests, saying what they at least know.

"Yeah, right, of course." She stumbles as she tries to understand what she could mean by that." Is that what you want? To be friends that kiss? Like friends with benefits?" Her reluctance to that sort of relationship is clear, though she did try to hide it. She was almost regretting stopping this from going further …

"What? No! Not at all! I don't want us to be friends."

"Oh ... Wow! Euhm … Okay, I guess." The blonde answers dejectedly, assuming that she's ruined things by overthinking it. "I guess that means that I should …" She starts to say, but Rachel is quick to interrupt her.

"I don't want to be just friends, I want to be more than friends."

Seeing the sparkle return to the blonde's eyes, she realizes that she was in time to prevent her from running away. It's one of the things she knows she needs to be careful about.

"You're right, it's too soon for us to be kissing like that. I guess I just didn't want to think. I just wanted to, you know … do." She explains, again disappointed in her lack of elegance in her choice of words.

Quinn laughs, relieved that she's wasn't losing the brunette because she sort of rejected her. Every inch of her wanted to continue that kiss and explore her body and touch … everything. But she respected Rachel too much to let things progress that fast. She wanted to do this right, which meant that they had to keep their teenage hormones in check.

"I get it Rach, believe me! I'd love nothing more than to be young and stupid with you. But at the same time I wanna do this right. We deserve to do this right." Quinn explains, hoping she can understand what she means. She's well aware of their age and the chances of them lasting that come with it. And that's exactly why she doesn't want to rush things.

"Okay, so how about we just put in a movie and just hang out together? I mean, potentially epic romantic interests can do that together. Right?" The diva suggest, only semi joking in what she thinks they could be together.

"Absolutely!" The blonde agrees, choosing not to react and secretly hope that she's not too far off with that statement.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, they are both laughing their asses off while watching "We're the Millers".<p>

"Oh my god, that is insane!" Rachel exclaims, wiping the tears from her eyes from laughing so much.

"Seriously, this is hilarious! That is one lucky kid!" Quinn adds, referring to the scene where Kenny is kissing both Rose and Casey.

Rachel glances over at the cheerleader, curious about her comment.

"You're saying you'd want to trade places with him?" She asks. She has a feeling this could easily lead way to some harmless flirting and talking about hot girls. They're not doing anything wrong with that, right?

"Oh definitely!" Quinn responds easily, unaware of Rachel's little plan. "Who wouldn't want to make out with both Jennifer Aniston and Emma Roberts?"

"You're right about that, Jennifer is really sexy!" The brunette states, trying to take advantage of the blonde being so gullible.

That comment was a bit too obvious though, and so Quinn directs her attention away from the screen and towards Rachel.

_Two can play that game_, she thinks.

"Ooh, absolutely! I've always thought she was beautiful. There's just something about her, no matter which role she plays. It's always the perfect combination of sexy and beautiful." She lets the comment linger for a moment, before adding "That's something you two have in common."

The singer hadn't expected things to turn that easily, and she blushes despite herself. It was not going to be easy to stay mature around each other with declarations like that flying around. It doesn't take long for her to recover though.

"I always liked how she can put so much grace in her characters. Even the once where you don't expect it. No one radiates grace more than you though." She even adds a little wink at the end, just to make sure she got the message.

Both seem to agree at that point, that they're going to love throwing quips like that at each other.

* * *

><p>The second movie they choose to watch, is A Walk to Remember. After 20 minutes or so, Rachel receives a text. Quinn watches her closely as she looks it over and sees how she's considering texting back. Eventually she puts her phone to the side and continues watching. The blonde can sense that something is bothering the smaller girl, but she doesn't pry. She knows that Rachel will talk to her when and if she needs to.<p>

A bit further in the movie, things start to become a little sad. They hadn't talked much during the film, but as things progressed, they had snuggled closer together. Quinn was taken by the sadness that she finds in Rachel's eyes. She didn't know whether it was because of the movie, or that whoever send that text had triggered something. She just pulled Rachel closer to her in order to comfort her and make sure she knew she wasn't alone. The brunette happily snuggled closer and entwined their fingers. She obviously needed the connection, which Quinn was more than happy to provide.

As Landon goes above and beyond to fulfill as many items on Jamie's list as he can, Quinn feels inspired. That list was created because she wanted to make the most of the time she had left. It made the blonde realize that their lives were just beginning. They still have time to make so many dreams come true. And at least one of those dreams was very much within their reach.

At the end of the movie, Rachel was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Quinn didn't want to go to bed yet, she'd rather end the night on a happy note. But she could tell that the brunette wouldn't be able to stay awake through another movie.

"I guess we should head upstairs, right?" She suggests, making sure not to sound disappointed so the brunette wouldn't feel too guilty.

"What, why?" Rachel responds, obviously fighting her yawns. "I don't want to go to bed, I wanna stay up all night and talk to you." She barely gets the sentence out, the fatigue was wearing her down.

"I would love to talk all night, but we both need to be awake for that." The blonde jokingly responds. "It's okay, we have plenty of talks and movie nights to come. You're tired, we can just go to sleep."

"Mm, 'kay." Rachel agrees far too easily, which convinces the cheerleader even more that she would not be able to stay up much longer.

They both head upstairs, after Quinn tries her best to clean up a bit so the Berrys wouldn't come home to a messy house. They manage to get up the stairs, the blonde watching Rachel like a hawk to make sure she doesn't fall back. The brunette finds just enough strength for her shortened evening routine and soon they're both ready for the night.

Rachel is completely under the covers, eyes already closed and breathing evening out. Quinn looks over at her from the bathroom, wondering what to do next. Normally she would crawl in next to her, but she's a bit reluctant. She'll want to hold the diva close to her, maybe place a kiss at the top of her head and dream away of times to come that they'll spend together. But after the events of the evening, she's not too sure. Their spare bedroom is just down the hall and she knows they keep it ready for guests. As she's deciding on whether or not to go to the other room, the barely awake brunette whispers: "Quinn? You almost ready?"

Not being able to resist the cuteness, she quickly crawls under the blankets.

"I'm here Rach, you can go to sleep now." She whispers softly.

Rachel pulls her close to her and relaxes into the blondes arms.

"Mmm, kay. Good night Quinnie." She whispers, voice heavy with sleep.

"Good night Rach." She whispers back. She snuggles a little closer, places a kiss against the back of her head and closes her eyes. As she softly drifts of to sleep, she can't help thinking that this is how she'd want to go to sleep every night.

It's morning. She can tell by the way the sun enters the room. Her thoughts drift back to the night before. She was happy to hear how much the other girl cared. She had been very scared in the lead up to their talk, but she was happy they now understood where they stood with one another. That kiss though …

As she looks over to the girl next to her, her eyes find the lips that touched hers, just hours ago. All she had to do now, was move closer and they could have that connection again. They could feel that fire … She doubts the entire girl would mind being woken up like that.

But … she can't! They promised to take it slow and not let the hormones take over. They need to take their time if they wanted to do things right.

Why does it feel like she was a lot better at convincing herself yesterday than she was now? Could it be the morning glow that her future girlfriend is showing?

As she looks over to the figure at her side, said figure begins to stir.

"Why are you awake?" She asks, sounding beautifully hoarse, the night still clearly present in her voice.

"I was just thinking … and sort of contemplating kissing you again," was her honest answer, which surprised even herself.

"Well then, what's stopping you?"

Taken back from the quick reply, her eyes find those lips again. They're inching closer, feeling the pull take over for them. But before the connection is made, there's a loud noise coming from downstairs. A door is slammed, voices are being raised and there are heavy footsteps on the stairs. Suddenly, the bedroom door is thrown open and Finn has caught them seconds before their lips could lock. He marches over and grabs Quinn by the hair while yelling obscenities. Rachel is scared out of her mind again as she tries to loosen the grip he has on her.

Her fathers appear at the door and join the struggle. Sirens sound in the background, but with a sharp blast from an elbow, Rachel goes crashing to the floor and everything goes black.

Rachel wakes up with a start. It takes her a while to find her bearings, but when she does, she comes to the realization that it was all just a dream. Quinn is peacefully asleep next to her. They've shifted during the night, so she's no longer in her embrace. She feels terribly lonely, not being in her arms so she takes a deep breath, presses a kiss to her forehead and snuggles closer to her again. Before she closes her eyes, she places her hand in one of Quinn's. That way, she hopes, the touch of her hand could prevent anymore nightmares invading her mind.

* * *

><p>DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the movies mentioned.<p>

It's been way too long, I know! I hadn't planned on not updating for 6(!) months … I hate it when other writers do that, but I can understand it. A lot happened during those months! I fell in love, I was heavily betrayed, I picked myself back up off the ground and the last 2 weeks I was able to make several of my dreams come true by going to America for 2 weeks :-D. Luckily, I found some time to write there and so I can finally give you a new chapter that I've been working in the past few months. Writing is my passion, it's something I don't want to give up, so I'm trying to find a way for me to ensure I put more time in. For those still reading, thanks for your patience!

Any comments or advice is always appreciated. I hope those commenting they wanted the talk to happen already and that smooching should be happening, are somewhat satisfied with this chapter. I don't tend to plan a whole lot in advance, that's part of the reason that the development is so slow. But I do like the flirting and the smooching so it will probably keep happening from now on.

Who do you think sent that text? And what could it say? How badly do you want their hormones to take over some more? :-P

Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be a lot sooner, I can promise that!

Until next time

Lucy


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